Mumbai and Pune together accounted for 63% of the total absorption in H1 2024, followed by southern cities (Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad) at 29%. Mumbai’s share saw an increase from 25% in H1 2023 to 41% in H1 2024, the growth can be attributed to an increase in demand for grade-A warehouses in areas such as Bhiwandi, Panvel, Uran, Taloja, and Ambernath. NCR witnessed a significant decline in its share from 31% to 6% in the same period. Furthermore, Chennai reported absorption of 1.5 Mn sq ft in H1 2024, registering an increase of 191% over H1 2023 due to the low base effect.
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AI & Robotics companies accounted for 21% of Bengaluru’s absorption in Q2 2024, as per Vestian’s quarterly office market report, The Connect Q2 2024. Rapid global advancement of artificial intelligence, combined with a supportive ecosystem, has significantly driven the demand for office space in the city. Overall, IT-ITeS sector, including AI & Robotics, accounted for 69% of the city’s absorption in Q2 2024.
In Bangalore, the cap rates for the logistics & warehousing assets continue to remain flat Q-o-Q with significant volume registered in lease transactions. Similarly, rental rates and capital values for Grade A commercial office segment have been flat with no significant change. Though interest rate regime is stable, the impact on the cap rate movement is limited due to transaction volumes and perceived risk not changing much.
While 3PL players continued to dominate the demand with about 36% share, space uptake by players from engineering, FMCG and electronics segments was significant with 12-16% share each. Interestingly, both engineering and electronics segments witnessed over 1.7X times leasing activity in H1 2024, compared to the corresponding six-month period of 2023. Going ahead, driven by conducive industry-specific policies and an enabling regulatory framework, diverse segments are likely to propel the industrial and warehousing space demand in India.
The surge in demand for luxury housing has been primarily driven by a growing preference by affluent buyers seeking enhanced amenities and more spacious living areas that complement their multifaceted lifestyle. Additionally, the aspirational class has been on an upward trend, significantly driving luxury sales. Furthermore, the rise in NRI and astute investors in the Indian real estate market has considerably contributed to the heightened demand for luxury properties.
INR 3,500+ crore highest-ever recorded sales value in secondary/resale market in Mumbai with growth rate of 37% in H1 CY’24 compared to H1 CY’23. The top luxury micro-markets in Mumbai—Goregaon East, Worli, Mahalakshmi, Prabhadevi, Mumbai Central, Malabar Hill, Bandra West, Lower Parel, Tardeo, Byculla—have contributed to 80% of primary luxury sales by value in H1 CY’24. More than half of homebuyers in the more than INR 10 Crore luxury market belong to the 35-55 age category.
The report also highlights that Bengaluru has cemented its status as the leader for global capability centres (GCCs), commanding a 41% share in India’s GCC leasing market (from 2022 to Jun’24). Bengaluru’s GCC growth is driven by a combination of factors, including a skilled talent pool, premium Grade-A assets, and a well-developed IT ecosystem. The city’s ease of doing business also contributes significantly, making it an attractive destination for GCCs. Additionally, the scope of scalability in both assets and talent resources further reinforces Bengaluru’s position as a leading commercial hub.
Development completions of about 13.2 mn. sq. ft. was witnessed in Apr-June ‘24, up by 49% Q-o-Q, and 11% Y-o-Y. Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad drove supply addition during the quarter with a cumulative share of about 69%. The non-SEZ segment dominated development completions with a share of 90% in Q2 2024. Developers continued to exhibit their efforts towards sustainability, with over three-fourths of the newly completed space during Q2 2024 being green-certified (LEED or IGBC-rated).
In contrast, with USD 0.3 billion of investments in office assets, the segment witnessed subdued activity in Q2 2024. Although the annual decline was significant at 83%, the QoQ drop was relatively modest at 41%. The surge in industrial & warehousing, and residential investments resulted in a healthy investment volume of USD 3.5 billion for H1 2024 at an overall level, making up for the slow start in first quarter. Foreign investments remained robust, accounting for 81% of the total inflows in Q2 2024, predominantly led by investors from the US and UAE.
Office market well placed to cross 50 million square feet of absorption in 2024, third year in a row. Q2 2024 saw 15.8 million square feet of leasing across the top 6 cities. Developer confidence remains strong with 13.2 million square feet of completions in Q2 2024. With 52% cumulative share in Q2 2024, Bengaluru and Mumbai drive India office demand. Technology and Engineering & manufacturing sectors account 45% of quarterly demand, highest flex space activity in any quarter.