Institutional investments in Indian real estate jumped 29% to $8.47 billion last year, even as foreign capital inflows declined 16% amid global uncertainties. Office assets dominated investment activity, accounting for 54% of total inflows, followed by residential and industrial and warehousing segments, a report by Colliers said on Jan 6.
Driven by large office deals, Bengaluru and Mumbai together attracted nearly half of the total investments in 2025, with inflows of about $2.2 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively, according to Colliers India.
Domestic institutional capital emerged as the primary driver of real estate investments in 2025, with inflows more than doubling year-on-year to $4.8 billion, accounting for 57% of the total investment volume during the year. The strong growth in domestic investor participation underscores rising confidence among Indian institutional investors, supported by improving asset quality, stable returns, and greater market transparency, it noted.
While foreign capital deployment in 2025 moderated by 16% YoY to $3.7 billion, cross-border investments showed signs of recovery in the final quarter, indicating a gradual improvement in global investor sentiment, it said.
“Looking ahead, institutional investments are expected to strengthen further, supported by expanding domestic capital, improving global risk appetite, and India’s strong economic fundamentals. Core income-generating assets, particularly offices, industrial & logistic parks and residential segment, will remain priority areas for investors in 2026,” said Badal Yagnik, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Colliers India.
Bengaluru and Mumbai together drive nearly half of real estate investments in 2025
Led by large office transactions, Bengaluru and Mumbai together drew close to half of the total investments in 2025, with inflows of around $2.2 billion and $1.8 billion respectively. Of the total $4.0 billion inflows in these cities, office assets drove close to three-fourths of the investment activity. Interestingly, five out of seven major Indian cities saw a year-on-year rise in capital inflows in 2025.
Meanwhile, of the $2.3 billion multi-city investments during 2025, over 40% were in residential assets, reflecting growing investor interest in early-stage residential projects and expansion in newer residential markets, including emerging Tier II/III cities, the report said.
Office segment dominates with 54% share in investments during 2025
Indian office market witnessed attracting $4.5 billion worth of investments in 2025, almost twice the levels in 2024, supported by rising participation from both domestic and foreign investors. Notably, the final quarter alone accounted for nearly two-thirds of annual capital deployment and coincided with strong Grade A space uptake across the country's major office markets, Colliers said.
The residential segment followed the office segment with $1.6 billion of inflows during 2025, registering a 36% year-on-year growth and accounting for an 18% share in total investments. Capital deployment in the segment continues to be supported by strong long-term demand fundamentals, including favourable demographics, rising income levels, and increased developer expansion into Tier II cities through joint-venture platforms, attracting both domestic and foreign investors, the report said.
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Meanwhile, mixed-use, retail, and alternative assets too witnessed significant traction, cumulatively totalling to about $1.5 billion and accounting for nearly 17% of total investments in 2025. Investor appetite in these segments continues to be driven by portfolio diversification and growing focus on assets powered by end-user demand, such as data centers, co-living, second homes, it noted.
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“Indian office market has scaled new highs in 2025, attracting a record $4.5 billion in institutional investments. Interestingly, alongside this surge, the year also marked the listing of fourth office-focused REIT and notable acquisitions by older REITs, marked by superior tenant quality, higher occupancy levels, and strong rental growth. Investment traction is supported by strong operational performance and consecutive record-breaking Grade A space uptake in the last 3-4 years," said Vimal Nadar, National Director and Head of Research, Colliers India.
"Looking ahead, with over 370 million sq ft of existing office stock having a potential to be included in future REITs, we anticipate greater degree of institutionalisation and consolidation supported by cross-border capital flows over the course of next few years,” he said.