Domestic investors account for 64% of India’s $3.5 bn realty investments

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector remained resilient during Q2 2026, reaching $1.9 billion, registering a 16% increase quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), according to Cushman & Wakefield’s Q2 2026 Capital Marketbeat report. While investment activity moderated 7% year-on year (YoY), the overall market continued to witness consistent deployment, supported by strong participation from domestic investors and sustained preference for consistent income-generating assets.

For the first half of 2026, institutional investments totalled $3.5 billion, marking a 6% increase over H1 2025.

The office sector continued to dominate institutional investment activity in Q2 2026, attracting nearly $1 billion and accounting for 51% of total investments. This marked the fourth consecutive quarter of office assets leading India’s real estate investment landscape. The sustained investor preference underscores continued confidence in the office sector’s long-term fundamentals and its ability to generate stable income.

Investor interest in office real estate continues to be underpinned by strong occupier demand, particularly from Global Capability Centres (GCCs), tightening vacancy levels across major office markets, and continued rental growth in premium micro-markets. Limited availability of investment-grade assets has further reinforced the sector’s attractiveness among institutional investors.

Data centres emerged as the second-largest recipient of institutional capital in Q2 2026, accounting for 40% of total investments. The sector’s growing share reflects increasing investor interest in digital infrastructure assets, supported by rising demand driven by rapid AI adoption, cloud expansion and data localisation requirements.

Domestic Capital Continues to Anchor Market Activity

Domestic institutions maintained their dominant position in investment activity, accounting for 54% of total investments in Q2 2026, compared with 46% by foreign investors. The domestic share has exceeded foreign capital for four consecutive quarters reflecting the growing depth of domestic capital.

For H1 2026, investments by domestic institutions stood at $2.2 billion, accounting for 64% of total investment activity, compared to a 43% share during H1 2025. Foreign investments totalled $1.3 billion, representing the remaining 36%, down from 57% in the corresponding period last year.

Investment activity during Q2 2026 was led by multi-city portfolios, which accounted for 55% of total capital deployment, reflecting investors’ preference for diversified exposure across markets. Among individual cities, Bengaluru led investment activity with a 23% share, followed by Chennai at 17%.

Private equity investors remained the primary source of institutional capital during Q2 2026, accounting for 85% of total investment volumes, while REIT-led investments contributed 15%.

Looking ahead to H2 2026, institutional investment activity is expected to remain stable, supported by India’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals and continued infrastructure-led growth. Domestic capital is expected to remain the primary driver of investment activity, while foreign investor participation is likely to improve gradually as global macroeconomic conditions stabilise.

“Capital allocation is becoming increasingly differentiated across asset classes. While office continues to attract a broad spectrum of investors owing to its maturity, liquidity and stable income profile, we are also seeing growing interest in the data centre segment as investors seek to capitalise on India’s expanding digital infrastructure ecosystem. This diversification of capital is contributing to a deeper and more resilient investment landscape,” said Somy Thomas, Executive Managing Director, Capital Markets, Cushman & Wakefield.