Dzҳ

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

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



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

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Reliance, Diehl Advance Pact for Precision-Guided Munitions

Diehl Defence CEO Helmut Rauch and Reliance Group’s Founder Chairman Anil D. Ambani have held discussions to advance their ongoing strategic partnership focused on Guided and Terminally Guided Munitions (TGM), under a cooperation agreement originally signed in 2019.This collaboration underscores Diehl Defence’s long-term commitment to the Indian market and its support for the Indian Government’s Make in India initiative. The partnership’s current emphasis is on the urgent supply of the Vulcano 155mm Precision Guided Munition system to the Indian Armed Forces.Simultaneously, the “Vulc..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Modis Navnirman to Migrate to Main Board, Merge Subsidiary

Modis Navnirman Limited has announced that its Board of Directors has approved a key strategic initiative involving migration from the BSE SME platform to the Main Board of both BSE and NSE, alongside a merger with its wholly owned subsidiary, Shree Modis Navnirman Private Limited.The move to the main boards marks a major milestone in the company’s growth trajectory, reflecting its consistent financial performance, robust corporate governance, and long-term commitment to value creation. This transition will grant the company access to a broader investor base, improve market participation, en..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Global Capital Flows Remain Subdued, EMEA Leads in Q1 2025

The Bharat InvITs Association’s industry update for Q1 2025 shows subdued global capital flows, with investment volumes remaining at the lower end of the five-year range despite a late 2024 recovery. According to data from Colliers and MSCI Real Capital Analytics, activity in North America declined slightly, while EMEA maintained steady levels and emerged as the top region for investment in standing assets.The EMEA region now hosts seven of the top ten cross-border capital destinations for standing assets, pushing the United States� share of global activity below 15 per cent. Meanwhile, in..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement