India to Lead APAC Real Estate Megatrends

27 May 2026 CW Team

Colliers’ latest global report, Building Resilience: 5 Megatrends Redefining Corporate Real Estate, has identified India as a key growth engine in the Asia Pacific region, driven by AI-enabled workforces, demographic shifts and energy security.

The report said rapid digitalisation, rising AI adoption, demand for large language models and government support could expand India’s AI market from over USD 9 billion to more than USD 500 billion in the coming decades. India is also expected to remain a preferred destination for global firms due to competitive rentals, lower living costs and a large young talent pool.

India’s demographic advantage further strengthens its office market outlook. With a median age of around 29 years and 2–3 million STEM graduates added annually, the country accounts for about one-third of global skilled talent availability. Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune rank among the top technology talent markets in APAC.

Arpit Mehrotra, Managing Director, Office Services, India, Colliers, said India’s young workforce, rental arbitrage and deepening Global Capability Centre capabilities in R&D, AI, machine learning and cloud computing will continue to support office demand.

The report also highlighted India’s sustainability progress, with green-certified buildings accounting for nearly two-thirds of Grade A office stock. Over 420 million sq ft of Grade A office buildings older than 10 years present retrofitting potential worth more than USD 5 billion.

Infrastructure Transport

15 Jul 2026

Railways To Operate Over 300 Special Trains For Rath Yatra

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Indian Railways (IR) will operate more than 300 special trains for the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha and over 100 special trains during the Onam festival in Keralam. He flagged off the Nanded–Mumbai and Tanakpur–Nanded Express trains and inaugurated the extension of the Tanakpur–Pilibhit service up to Shahjahanpur via video conference from Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar. He noted that the summer season, which concluded on 30 June, had seen a record 15,000 special trains. Vaishnaw stated that the newly launched services are intende..

Vande Bharat Express To Start From Tripura Soon

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said the Vande Bharat Express will commence operations from Tripura in the coming days after he flagged off the Agartala–Karimganj MEMU service at Agartala Railway Station. He recalled the rail history of the state, noting that a metre-gauge service first arrived in 1964 and that broad gauge reached Agartala in 2008 following national projects and later upgrades under the Act East policy. The event was described as a milestone for regional connectivity and the MEMU was presented as the first electric passenger train to originate from Tripura.\n\nSaha said he..

MEMU Suspension Disrupts Commuters Between Vadodara And Dahod

The Vadodara–Dahod Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) service has been temporarily suspended for 26 days after its rake was diverted to Odisha to manage the surge in passenger traffic during the annual Rath Yatra in Puri. Indian Railways redeployed several MEMU rakes from different zones to meet the additional travel demand for the festival scheduled from the seventh of July to the second of August. As a result, train numbers 69233 and 69234 operating between Vadodara and Dahod will remain cancelled for the duration. Railway authorities advised passengers to use alternative train service..