Three in four corporate occupiers in India plan to expand their office portfolios over the next two years, according to a CBRE South Asia report released on Thursday, 20 August 2026. The findings, drawn from a survey conducted between April and June 2026, point to a structural shift in how corporates are approaching their India real estate strategy — driven by conviction-led growth rather than short-term opportunism.

Key Findings from the CBRE Survey

Nearly 30 per cent of office occupiers plan 'significant' portfolio expansion in India, up sharply from 18 per cent the previous year. Close to half of all surveyed occupiers intend to couple business growth with expansion and consolidation strategies, while approximately a quarter plan to renew existing leases over the same period.

Notably, respondents planning expansion said they intend to grow their India office portfolio by more than 30 per cent over two years — a scale of ambition that underlines the depth of corporate confidence in the market.

What Industry Leaders Said

Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO — India, South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa, CBRE, said: 'When nearly a third of occupiers are planning to grow their footprint by more than a third, that reflects a structural rather than cyclical shift in how corporates are approaching their India real estate strategy.' He added that the Indian office sector's stock has already crossed the 1-billion-square-feet milestone, and occupier enthusiasm signals sustained confidence in India as a long-term destination for corporate growth.

Ram Chandnani, Managing Director, Leasing Services, India, CBRE, stressed that this expansion is not confined to any single sector or region of origin. 'About 63 per cent of the large-sized occupiers plan to expand and consolidate in the next two years and we are likely to see this translate into active requirements across both established and emerging micro-markets,' he said.

Record Leasing Activity in H1 2026

The survey findings are backed by robust on-ground data. Gross leasing in the Indian office market hit a record 24.6 million sq. ft. in Q2 2026 — up 18 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent year-on-year. This pushed gross absorption for H1 2026 to 45.5 million sq. ft., the best half-year on record and roughly 10 per cent ahead of H1 2025.

GCCs and Flex Operators Drive Demand

Global Capability Centres (GCCs) remain the single largest engine of office demand, accounting for 42 per cent of quarterly take-up at a record 10.3 million sq. ft. in Q2 2026. Flex operators accounted for a further 27 per cent share, reflecting the continued mainstreaming of flexible workspace as a strategic real estate choice for large corporates.

With expansion appetite broad-based across sectors and geographies, the Indian office market appears positioned for another strong performance in the second half of 2026.