Flexible workspaces expected to rise to about 10 million sq ft by 2020

India has emerged as the second largest market for co-working in the APAC region, after China. Reports indicate that co-working was the fastest growing sector in commercial real estate last year and will continue to grow exponentially this year as well.

In 2018, flexible office space crossed 6 million sq ft, according to CBRE—over 50 per cent higher than the previous year. This was also the year several players entered the country and set up operations. And in the first three months of 2019 alone, flexible working spaces have leased nearly 3 million sq ft commercial realty, a 70 per cent increase on a quarterly basis. 

Today, there are close to 200 co-working operators running an estimated 400+ facilities across the country. Notably, the five major co-working players in India—Regus, WeWork, CoWrks, Awfis, Smartworks—have 0.79 million sq m (8.5 million sq ft) operational space, as per Knight Frank. Private equity players have also been looking to invest in co-working startups. One prominent example is that of Sequoia Capital, which invested $ 20 million in mid-2017 in Awfis.

Cities on the high 

Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi house the biggest concentration of co-working spaces in the country, with about 70 per cent of India’s start-ups. Data suggests Bengaluru was at the top, garnering maximum activity. However, in Q12019, a visible shift occurred with Hyderabad emerging as the leading city for co-working space taken up.

“From the second half of 2018 onwards, we began seeing demand for flexible workspaces go up in Tier-II cities,” says Harsh Lambah, Country Manager-India, IWG Plc. Adds Sidharth Menda, Founder & Vice Chairman, CoWrks, “Multinational companies, SMEs and start-ups are increasingly setting up their base in cities like Hyderabad and Chennai.”

SERAPHINA D’SOUZA

Lucknow Metro East-West Corridor Consultancy Contract Awarded

The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation has awarded the first construction-related consultancy contract for the Lucknow Metro East West Corridor to a joint venture of AYESA Ingenieria Arquitectura SAU and AYESA India Pvt Ltd. The firm was declared the lowest bidder for the Detailed Design Consultant contract for Lucknow Metro Line-2 under Phase 1B and the contract was recommended following the financial bid. The contract is valued at Rs 159.0 million (mn), covering design services for the corridor. Lucknow Metro Line-2 envisages the construction of an 11.165 kilometre corridor connecting Cha..

Div Com Kashmir Urges Fast Tracking Of Jhelum Water Transport Project

The Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir has called for the fast-tracking of the Jhelum water transport project, urging district administrations and relevant agencies to accelerate planning and clearances. In a meeting convened at the divisional headquarters, the commissioner instructed officials from irrigation, public health engineering and municipal departments to prioritise the project and coordinate survey and design work. The directive emphasised removal of administrative bottlenecks and close monitoring to ensure timely mobilisation of resources and contractors. Officials were told to in..

Interarch Reports Strong Q3 And Nine Month Results

Interarch Building Solutions Limited reported unaudited results for the third quarter and nine months ended 31 December 2025, recording strong revenue growth driven by execution and a robust order book. Net revenue for the third quarter rose by 43.7 per cent to Rs 5.225 billion (bn), compared with Rs 3.636 bn a year earlier, reflecting heightened demand in pre-engineered building projects. The company’s total order book as at 31 January 2026 stood at Rs 16.85 bn, supporting near-term visibility. EBITDA excluding other income for the quarter increased by 43.2 per cent to Rs 503 million (mn),..