Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector rose to a record $10.4 billion in 2025 across 77 transactions, marking the second consecutive year of all-time highs and a 17 per cent increase over $8.9 billion in 2024, according to property consultant JLL. In addition to completed transactions, the year also saw platform commitments worth $11.43 billion, earmarked for phased deployment over the next three to seven years. Nearly the entire commitment value, around $11 billion, was linked to a single platform deal by Digital Connexion, a strategic joint venture between Reliance Industries, Brookfield Asset Management and Digital Realty Trust, focused on data centre development. The office segment re-emerged as the dominant asset class, accounting for 58 per cent of total institutional investments in 2025. This marked a sharp turnaround from 2024, when residential assets led with a 45 per cent share, while office investments stood at 28 per cent. JLL noted that as the market matures, investor focus is expanding beyond traditional segments, with growing interest in emerging asset classes such as data centres, student housing, life sciences and healthcare. Bengaluru emerged as the leading investment destination, attracting 29 per cent of total institutional capital deployed during the year. Mumbai Metropolitan Region continued to retain strong institutional appeal, supported by its concentration of corporate headquarters and premium commercial real estate. Tier 2 cities collectively attracted $175 million, accounting for around 2 per cent of total investments, signalling cautious but rising institutional interest in emerging markets for portfolio diversification and value-added opportunities. Commenting on the trend, Samantak Das, Chief Economist and Head of Research and REIS, India at JLL, said 2025 marked a pivotal shift in India’s real estate investment landscape, with office assets reclaiming their status as the primary institutional capital magnet. He added that office investments rose to around $6 billion, more than doubling from the previous year. Das also highlighted a strategic recalibration in the residential segment, where renewed international confidence was reflected in a major global investor partnering with a leading domestic developer, indicating a gradual shift towards equity-led investment structures across asset classes.