Specialised realty platforms drive India's next wave of IPOs

Mumbai: India's real estate sector is expanding the range of assets being brought to the public markets as companies seek to tap investor interest in initial public offerings (IPOs).

The evolving public market now features specialised platforms with recurring revenue and institutional backing across co-working, real estate investment trusts, student housing, education infrastructure, logistics parks, and managed development platforms.

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Rather than being dominated by conventional property developers, the next phase of listings is likely to feature specialised real estate platforms with recurring revenue models, institutional ownership and sector-specific growth opportunities.

"India's real estate IPO market is entering a new phase, one where institutionally managed platforms and not just conventional developers are stepping into the public markets," said Lata Pillai, senior MD and head of Capital Markets, India, JLL. "Backed by institutional ownership, transparent governance, predictable cash flows and scalable operating models, these businesses are opening the door to a new breed of listings for investors to explore."

Flexible workspace operators led the first wave of post-pandemic public listings. Companies like WeWork India, IndiQube, Awfis, and Smartworks have already gone public, while The Executive Centre India recently filed for an IPO and Alta Capital-backed Tablespace is exploring a listing.

"For a long time, private equity was the primary source of growth capital for specialised real estate businesses. As these platforms have scaled and established operating track records, the public markets are emerging as the next logical source of capital," said Deep Shah, AVP, Unistone, a Merchant Banking firm. "IPOs provide companies with the financial flexibility to fund expansion, pursue acquisitions, strengthen their balance sheets and diversify their sources of capital."

Institutionally backed residential developers are also exploring the public markets.

Bengaluru-based Assetz has filed draft IPO papers to raise over ₹1,200 crore, while positioning itself as a professionally managed, institutionally backed developer with a focus on governance and design-led residential projects.

Another emerging category is student housing and education infrastructure.

Centres of Learning

Hillhouse-backed Elevate Campuses has proposed a ₹2,550 crore IPO comprising entirely a fresh issue of shares. The company plans to use the proceeds to expand its education infrastructure platform, including student accommodation and K-12 education assets. Among residential developers, Runwal Realty has filed draft papers for a ₹2,000 crore IPO, while Runwal Enterprises has received Sebi approval for its proposed ₹1,000 crore public issue.

According to Pillai, as capital markets deepen and specialised real estate segments mature, we expect a wider range of platforms to tap public capital, unlocking fresh opportunities across realty growth story.