PE investments in flex office spaces rise to USD 30.9 mn in H1 2026: Knight Frank India

Private equity investments in India’s flexible office space sector stood at USD 30.9 million across two deals in the first half of 2026, surpassing the USD 24.3 million invested through four deals during the entire 2025, according to a report by Knight Frank India.

Private equity investments in India’s flexible office space sector stood at USD 30.9 million across two deals in the first half of 2026, surpassing the USD 24.3 million invested through four deals during the entire 2025, according to a report by Knight Frank India. The real estate consultancy said the flex office market is moving from operator proliferation towards scale and consolidation, with investors increasingly evaluating enterprise exposure, operating capabilities and scalability. The renewed investor interest in H1 2026, marked by larger-ticket deals, could signal a reacceleration in capital deployment, it said.

Private equity investments in the sector rose from USD 25.3 million in 2017 to USD 112.3 million in 2019 before the pandemic disrupted the investment cycle. Investments subsequently surged to USD 594.5 million across nine deals in 2022, the highest annual inflow during the period, before moderating as the market moved towards consolidation. The expansion of the flex office segment has also been reflected in transaction volumes. Flex transactions increased from 2.2 million square feet in 2017 to 18.6 million square feet in 2025, registering a 30 per cent compound annual growth rate.

Flex space accounted for 24 per cent of overall office absorption in the leading eight cities in H1 2026, up sharply from 4 per cent in H1 2017. Flex office leasing stood at 11.4 million square feet during H1 2026, with Bengaluru recording the highest absorption at 2.9 million square feet, followed by Pune and the National Capital Region at 2.2 million square feet each and Hyderabad at 2 million square feet. “By converting fixed real estate commitments into variable capacity, it allows businesses to align space with the pace and uncertainty of growth,” Viral Desai, International Partner and Senior Executive Director, Occupier Strategy Solutions, Industrial & Logistics, Capital Markets & Retail, Knight Frank India, said.

The changing occupier profile is also driving the shift, with large enterprises accounting for 72 per cent of seats in flex spaces. Global Capability Centres accounted for 52 per cent of flex demand, indicating growing adoption of flexible office arrangements as part of real estate strategies among larger organisations seeking flexibility in capacity and location. Knight Frank said the rising penetration of flex spaces, greater adoption by large enterprises and GCCs, and the evolving investment profile indicate that flexibility is becoming a structural component of India’s office market. (ANI)