India's office market recorded its strongest quarter with gross leasing of 24.6 million sq ft
India's office market recorded its strongest quarter ever in Q2 2026. Gross leasing reached an all-time high of 24.6 million square feet. Developers matched this pace with 21 million square feet of new completions. Global capability centers and fl...
The company said that total absorption increased 18% quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q) and 14% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in Q2 2026. The supply rose by a sharper 91% Q-o-Q and 18% Y-o-Y.
In the first half of 2026 (H1 2026), the sector recorded a historic absorption of 45.5 mn. sq. ft. , the highest ever registered in any half-year period.
Supply totalled 32.0 mn. sq. ft. , the highest ever recorded in the first half of a calendar year (January–June).
From a sectoral perspective, flexible space operators were the leading occupier segment with a share of 27%. Flex, technology and BFSI firms together drove nearly 62% of Q2 2026 leasingand 58% of H1 2026 leasing.
Global capability centres (GCCs) continued to anchor demand, accounting for 42% of total office space take-up in Q2 2026 and 43% in H1 2026.
Also read | South-based developers step up Mumbai play amid strong housing demand
Leasing by these centres reached an all-time high of 10.3 mn. sq. ft. during the quarter, marking a 10% increase from 9.3 mn. sq. ft. in Q1 2026.
Transactions above 200,000 sq. ft. increased by 57% Q-o-Q, led by flexible space operators and technology firms. Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune together accounted for 68% of all large-format transactions during the quarter.
"India's office market continues to demonstrate its structural depth and resilience, delivering back-to-back record quarters even as the world navigates a volatile geopolitical and economic backdrop,"said Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO - India, South-East Asia, Middle East & North Africa, CBRE.
During the quarter, 6.8 mn. sq. ft. of space was leased by Fortune 500 companies, accounting for a share of 28%.
On the supply side, quality and sustainability continued to define the quarter. About 76% (16 mn. sq. ft. ) of new completions during Q2 2026 were green-certified, and 74% were located within integrated tech parks.
“This strength is broad-based from GCCs deepening their presence along withflexible space operators scaling rapidly across gateway and emerging cities alike. We expect this momentum, anchored by strong fundamentals and sustained occupier confidence, to continue through the rest of 2026,” Magazine said.
Bengaluru, Pune and Ahmedabad together contributed 73% of Q2 2026 supply and 72% of H1 2026 supply.
Bengaluru leads the city-wise leasing with a share of 27% in Q22026. Bengaluru, Pune and Delhi-NCR accounted for a combined share of ~
58%. In H1 2026, the top three cities - Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai - accounted for ~61% of the total absorption.
Delhi-NCR recorded its highest-ever quarterly flex space take-up and Pune posted an all-time-high quarter for overall leasing, both propelled mainly by flex operators.
Also read | Oberoi Realty sells luxury homes worth Rs 8,109 crore at its first project in Delhi-NCR
The momentum comes against the backdrop of a resilient Indian economy, which grew 7.7% in FY2025-26, with the real estate sector (alongside financial and professional services) expanding by approximately 10.4% in the January-March quarter.
“The demand across cities, asset classes and occupier types remains resilient. Occupiers are prioritising quality, sustainability and flexibility in equal measure - reflected in the scale-up of flex space adoption, and the continued dominance of green-certified assets. With investment-grade supply remaining tight relative to demand, we anticipate sustained rental appreciation across core micro-markets in the coming quarters,” said Ram Chandnani, Managing Director, Leasing Services, India, CBRE.
Looking ahead, CBRE expects GCCs to drive over 40% of total space absorption in 2026, with flexible workspaces, technology-led demand and flight-to-quality preferences continuing to shape occupier strategy across India’s office markets.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.