India's leading cosmopolitan centres such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, NCR and MMR continue to anchor the office market, but absorption surged by almost 30 per cent to 78.2 million (mn) sq ft in 2025 compared with 2023. Over 40 per cent of this demand was driven by Global Capability Centres (GCCs), whose footprint expanded by almost 50 per cent to approximately 35 million (mn) sq ft. As global uncertainty persists, large international companies regard India as a stable safe haven and are shifting focus from saturated Tier-1 markets to Tier-2 cities.

The structural shift is underpinned by government initiatives, infrastructure upgrades and an expanding local talent base, offering cost arbitrage and improved liveability. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) account for more than 50 per cent of registrations in non-metro cities, reinforcing local demand and supply chains. Flexible workspace operators are emerging as the preferred providers by enabling agile, scalable and capital efficient expansion for occupiers seeking satellite campuses, innovation hubs and delivery centres.

The report highlights city level projects and policies that are catalysing growth, including the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train, regional expressways and dedicated industrial corridors. Examples include a power infrastructure upgrade in Mohali valued at around Rs 7.08 billion (bn) and broad infrastructure spending in Goa amounting to around Rs 70.76 billion (bn), while state level GCC and IT policies are actively promoting decentralisation. Prestigious educational institutions in these cities are supplying specialised skill sets, reducing the need for talent migration to metros.

Cost efficiency, a diverse talent pool and improving connectivity position Tier-2 markets to host multinational pharmaceutical, engineering and manufacturing enterprises alongside growing IT and business process sectors. The report finds that collaboration between GCCs and flex operators is amplifying sector wise participation and enabling distributed growth across non metro corridors. Consequently, flexible workspaces are set to reshape commercial real estate in non metros and strengthen the foundation for the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.