India's Real Estate Soars with Unprecedented Capital Surge

Former HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh unveiled a CBRE report spotlighting a record USD 30.7 billion in capital for Indian real estate from 2024 to Q1 2026. The surge, driven by institutional investments in land, office assets, and REITs, highlights transformative growth following structural reforms and increased market credibility.

In a landmark revelation at the CII BFSI Summit 2026, former HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh released a pivotal CBRE South Asia report illuminating a historic upsurge in capital inflows into India's real estate sector. The report, titled 'Deploying Capital in a Transformative Era: The Four-Quadrant Analysis,' highlights a record USD 30.7 billion secured between 2024 and the first quarter of 2026, representing an 88% increase compared to USD 16.3 billion in 2022-2023. Land acquisition and office assets dominated, comprising over 75% of the total capital deployed during this period.

The report, meticulously detailing investments, noted the acquisition of approximately 6,025 acres for greenfield projects, with USD 13 billion deployed, predominantly for residential, mixed-use, and office ventures. Institutional investors, forming about 30% of total capital, witnessed more than a two-fold increase in inflows compared to the 2022-2023 period, largely targeting core sectors like built-up office, retail, and logistics assets.

On the back of structural reforms such as RERA, GST, and the RBI's Project Finance Directions, the sector's credibility has been significantly bolstered, as observed by Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO of CBRE India. He pointed out the realignment of the BFSI sector's relationship with real estate, with REITs deploying a historic USD 2 billion in Q1 2026. The expansion of debt markets further underscores this evolution, with bank credit for commercial real estate rising by 16% year-on-year and NBFC advances reaching a five-year high.