India’s luxury residential market is undergoing a quiet transformation. Beyond aesthetics and prime addresses, homebuyers today are placing increasing value on identity, trust, and differentiated experiences. This shift is opening up space for branded residences, homes developed in collaboration with global names in hospitality, fashion, and design.
Branded residences are beginning to resonate with a growing base of affluent buyers who seek more than conventional luxury. As expectations evolve and emerging markets gain prominence, these projects are steadily making their way into mainstream investment conversations.
The question now is whether India’s evolving market conditions can support a larger branded residential footprint? The answer lies in the numbers, the evolving buyer mindset, and the cities reshaping the future of premium living.
To understand the rise of branded residences, we must first look at the overall trajectory of the luxury residential market. According to Mordor Intelligence, India’s luxury residential real estate market is expected to grow from USD 44.11 billion in 2025 to USD 118.30 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 21.81% during this period.
This growth isn’t just about market size, it reflects a steady shift in buyer confidence. India’s expanding economy, rising incomes, and greater financial awareness are contributing to stronger demand in the premium housing segment. Luxury today is no longer limited to inherited wealth. Luxury buyers include first-generation entrepreneurs, professionals, and investors who are more attuned to global design, service, and lifestyle benchmarks. As this base grows, so does interest in luxury real estate and branded residences.
The appetite for homeownership, particularly in the upper-mid and luxury categories, has seen a remarkable shift. In 2024, India witnessed record-high residential sales of 302,867 units, an 11% year-on-year increase. Average annual sales during 2022–2024 surpassed pre-pandemic (2010–2019) averages by 63%, underscoring a permanent behavioural change in the housing market (JLL).
Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Pune led the market, accounting for 62% of annual sales across the top seven cities. This performance highlights not just volume, but rising confidence in premium segments, even amid sustained price appreciation.
As more buyers prioritise design, privacy, and service-backed living, the jump to branded residences becomes a natural progression. The growing comfort with premium pricing is further opening the door for branded residences.
This surge in luxury demand isn’t just about size or square footage. Today’s affluent homebuyer seeks experiences that blend design, service, and investment value. Branded residences deliver on all three fronts, offering globally curated aesthetics, hospitality-grade amenities, and the trust that comes with established names.
For developers, these partnerships elevate brand equity and differentiation. For buyers, they provide:
As demand shifts toward long-term liveability and legacy asset creation, branded residences are emerging as a new language of premium real estate. This shift is being strongly reinforced by one of the most significant drivers of change in Indian real estate, the expansion of individual wealth.
The demand for branded residences is closely tied to the rise of India’s affluent population. According to the Knight Frank Wealth Report 2024, the number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNIs), those with a net worth of USD 30 million or more, is projected to grow by 50%, reaching nearly 20,000 individuals by 2028 (Knight Frank). For this segment, real estate is not merely a purchase, it’s a portfolio decision. A branded residence appeals because it combines three key dimensions that they increasingly prioritise:
This shift is further reinforced by projections from NAREDCO and Housing.com, which estimate that India’s branded residences segment will touch USD 5 billion by 2025 (NAREDCO). The segment’s expansion has been driven not just by rising disposable incomes but by the growing aspirational appeal of globally branded homes, offering a combination of design, trust, and legacy that traditional luxury formats often lack. Notably, this demand is no longer limited to metro cities alone, with emerging markets steadily becoming hotspots for brand-aligned living.
While Mumbai and Delhi continue to dominate luxury headlines, it is India’s emerging markets that are fuelling the next wave of growth. Cities like Pune, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad are now delivering luxury at global standards, with the infrastructure, talent density, and buyer profiles to support it.
Pune, in particular, has become a hub for branded homes. Projects such as Trump Towers Pune, YOO Pune, YOO Villas, and FashionTV-branded residences have already proven the city’s readiness for design-led global partnerships. With improved connectivity, rising launch volumes, and a more discerning luxury buyer base, cities like Pune are offering the perfect intersection of aspiration and affordability.
India’s luxury real estate story is entering a new phase, defined by maturity, investor confidence, and global alignment. And as India continues to grow in affluence and urban sophistication, branded residences are set to become a defining feature of the next wave of luxury living.
At SQUAREA, we specialise in helping investors and end-users access India’s most iconic branded residences. Whether you’re seeking a globally designed home, a strategic long-term asset, or a lifestyle that reflects your achievements, our team is here to guide you with detailed market insights.
You can connect with us at hello@squarea.io or call +91 90 9641 9641 to explore exclusive opportunities in India’s evolving luxury real estate landscape.
2024 delivered a record-breaking year in terms of absorption and sustainable supply. Leasing volumes hit historic highs, green-certified spaces gained overwhelming tenant preference, and development activity concentrated in markets with infrastructure depth and regulatory readiness. Additionally, it also laid down a blueprint for what investors must now focus on, in 2025. But to assess where commercial real estate is headed in 2025, it is essential to begin with the underlying patterns that defined the last calendar year.
India’s office market achieved its highest-ever gross absorption in 2024, recording 79 million sq. ft. of leasing activity, a 16% year-on-year increase (CBRE Q4 2024). This expansion was led by Global Capability Centres, BFSI institutions, and technology majors, each demonstrating a preference for Grade-A and future-ready commercial assets.
What set this leasing cycle apart was not just the volume, but the structure of the demand. Key trends included:
These shifts in leasing behaviour highlight more than market momentum, they indicate a set of qualitative filters now shaping both occupier and investor decisions. For 2025, recognising these benchmarks is essential to understanding where capital is consolidating and why certain assets are outperforming.
India’s commercial office sectors performance is being driven by a multitude of factors. As capital becomes more discerning, three critical filters have emerged at the centre of commercial real estate decision-making: sustainability, grade relevance, and micro-market precision.
In Q4 2024, over 50% of new office completions were green-certified, with 80–85% of future pipeline expected to follow this trend (CBRE Q4 2024, ET Realty). Furthermore, more than 70% of leasing activity took place in green-certified buildings, underscoring ESG compliance as a central occupier requirement.
This transition not only reflects a regulatory obligation, but also a core strategic priority for global tenants. Corporate sustainability goals and green-certified infrastructure is now non-negotiable. Developers are adjusting accordingly, embedding compliance, energy efficiency, and smart design from the outset.
India’s commercial leasing landscape in 2024 was dominated by the surge in demand for Grade-A office assets. Gross leasing activity across the top six cities reached 47 million sq. ft. by Q3, representing a 23% year-on-year increase, and by year-end, Grade-A absorption was projected to cross 60 million sq. ft., the highest in India’s history (Economic Times).
But even within the Grade-A category, a deeper shift is underway. The market is now favouring “relevant-grade” buildings, assets that go beyond minimum classification standards to deliver digital integration, ESG compliance, wellness infrastructure, and future-proof layouts.
Alongside sustainability and grade, micro-market selection is emerging as a third determinant of asset performance. Institutional capital is not spreading widely, it is going deep, favouring established corridors with infrastructure depth, high occupier density, and regulatory clarity.
This targeted deployment is most evident in Pune, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. These cities accounted for 67% of India’s total new office completions in 2024, contributing to a cumulative 52.3 million sq. ft. of new supply (CBRE Q4 2024). Within these cities, select submarkets have consistently absorbed the bulk of institutional leasing activity due to their alignment with occupier priorities, operational resilience, and compliance infrastructure.
Among these, Pune, and more specifically, Kharadi NX, has evolved from a promising node to a strategic investment destination, setting a new institutional standard in micro-market performance.
With robust infrastructure, a strong tenant base, and high-grade development activity, Pune ranked among the top three cities for leasing and new completions in 2024. Within this landscape, Kharadi NX has also transitioned from a growth node to a fully institutionalised commercial corridor. It now offers the core fundamentals that investors seek: connectivity, tenant concentration, and scalable asset formats designed for long-hold performance.
Key drivers fuelling Kharadi NX’s ascent include:
One of the key developments include Omicron Business Landmarks, a project that exemplifies the market’s direction. It features high-efficiency office formats, integrated ESG infrastructure, and strategic connectivity, making it well-positioned to attract long-term, high-value tenants.
And we at SQUAREA, specialise in identifying such institutional-grade commercial assets across India’s most resilient and performance-led markets. Whether your objective is income yield or long-hold appreciation, our expert team will align your strategy with developments that meet international benchmarks and domestic regulatory confidence. Write to us at hello@squarea.io or call +91 90 9641 9641 to capitalise on this opportunity strategically!
In today’s commercial real estate environment, return on investment is defined by more than just rental yield. It reflects a deeper calculus, one that accounts for asset grade, lease structure, tenant quality, and long-term resilience. As institutional capital becomes more selective and compliance benchmarks tighten, high-end commercial spaces have emerged as the most credible vehicles for durable, risk-mitigated growth.
For investors seeking stable income, long-term value preservation, and institutional-grade performance, high-end commercial real estate has become a core component of performance-led portfolios. As the fundamentals of ROI become more layered, it is essential to break down the individual factors that shape returns in high-end commercial assets.
The ROI of a commercial property is a product of several interlinked variables. Some of the core indicators include:
According to Business Standard, commercial office assets in India offer yields of 5-7%, significantly outperforming residential properties, which hover around 3%. This spread forms the baseline of return, but in high-end office spaces, ROI is built on much more than yield. The next layer of ROI is influenced by the quality and grade of the asset, and this is where ‘relevant-grade’ commercial spaces emerge as clear outperformers.
Over the last few years, a new benchmark has come to define premium commercial assets, relevant-grade. These are not just modern offices, they are future-ready spaces that exceed standard Grade-A specifications on every front. According to JLL, as of H1 2024, India’s top seven cities had approximately 465 million sq. ft of relevant-grade stock, forming 56.3% of the total Grade-A inventory. These properties command a 19.8% premium, with average rents at ₹92.4 per sq. ft/month, a clear indicator that occupiers value quality and are willing to pay for it.
Along with asset grades, the structure of tenancy and income continuity are equally decisive in realising long-term ROI.
Premium commercial spaces are defined not only by where they are or how they look, but who occupies them and under what terms. In high-grade assets, tenants are typically from IT, BFSI, global consulting, or GCC sectors. These organisations:
For investors, this translates into several advantages:
These factors also make relevant-grade leased assets REIT-compatible, offering greater liquidity and exit potential, an increasingly important consideration for private and institutional investors alike.
With the fundamentals of quality and tenancy firmly aligned, the final piece of the ROI equation is timing, and 2025 stands out as a defining entry point.
India’s commercial office sector is undergoing a structural shift. ESG benchmarks, design innovation, and tenant expectations are converging to define a new era of real estate development. And 2025 presents a timely opportunity to enter high-grade commercial markets.
Here’s why:
This shift is also reflected in the nature of upcoming inventory. Projects such as the upcoming Trump World Center in Pune, a 1.6 million sq. ft branded commercial development is offering both for-sale and leased formats (TOI). It reflects the growing alignment between global investment preferences and India’s evolving commercial inventory.
With future supply increasingly focused on relevant-grade, ESG-aligned assets, investors who enter the market at this stage are well-positioned to capitalise on a cycle defined by resilient income, sustained occupier demand, and long-term value creation.
At SQUAREA, we help you align your capital with future-ready commercial assets that are graded for performance. Whether your goal is to acquire leased institutional assets, invest in premium strata offices, or explore ESG-compliant office campuses, we provide tailored investment access backed by in-depth research, location strategy, and asset due diligence.
Connect with us at hello@squarea.io or call us at +91 90 9641 9641 to unlock the ROI of high-end commercial real estate - strategically, securely, and successfully.
Across India’s top real estate markets, a new type of buyer is emerging. One who sees ultra-luxury real estate not just as a prized possession, but as a planned component of long-term wealth preservation. What was once viewed as a reward for success is now being evaluated through the lens of return potential, capital security, and generational transfer. These aren’t just homes anymore, they’re carefully selected, performance-backed assets in a well-diversified financial portfolio.
This transformation is backed by strong market data. In 2025, 55% of HNIs and UHNIs cited capital appreciation as their primary reason for investing in luxury real estate, up from 44% in 2024 (Business Standard). In other words, India’s wealthy are not just buying homes, they’re buying into long-term value.
With the appetite for capital appreciation growing stronger among HNIs and UHNIs, the shift is clear: luxury is being repurposed as strategy.
To understand why ultra-luxury homes are being repositioned as wealth preservation tools, we must start with the shift in investor intent. Gone are the days when high-end homes were acquired primarily for their aesthetic or lifestyle pull. Today’s luxury buyers, especially HNIs and UHNIs, are entering the market with sharper intent:
This mindset shift, from lifestyle acquisition to long-term asset selection, has also redefined how HNIs are leveraging their luxury homes. It’s no longer just about owning prime real estate, but about optimising its financial potential.
From Homes to Yielding Assets: Luxury as Income-Generating Real Estate
The evolving treatment of luxury homes doesn’t stop at capital preservation. When optimised correctly, ultra-luxury homes are becoming performance assets, offering attractive yields alongside emotional and lifestyle value. Especially in high-demand locations or branded developments, they’re generating sizeable returns.
This yield-driven approach is strengthening real estate’s position within diversified portfolios. For many HNIs, these properties now sit alongside equities, bonds, and alternates, not just as lifestyle holdings, but as performance-driven capital plays.
For India’s HNIs and UHNIs, the portfolio mix is evolving. Equities and private investments still play a role, but real estate is being reintroduced as a core allocation. HNIs are now allocating a larger share of their portfolio to real estate, particularly in the premium and ultra-premium segments (Financial Express).
Here’s what’s driving this shift:
This strategic reallocation of wealth into real estate is part of a wider trend. As India's market matures and buyer sophistication deepens, the ultra-luxury segment is fast becoming a must-have in modern wealth management.
From Aspirational to Essential: Why the Luxury Market Will Hold
Looking ahead, the fundamentals supporting luxury real estate remain solid. The Indian real estate sector is projected to touch $1 trillion by 2030, with residential making up a significant portion of this growth (Financial Express).
And as investment continues to mature, so will the nature of luxury real estate:
What was once a niche asset class is now on its way to becoming one of the most reliable wealth preservation tools for India’s elite.
At SQUAREA, we guide investors in identifying ultra-luxury properties that offer more than a signature address. They deliver long-term capital preservation, yield opportunities, and legacy value. Whether you're reallocating capital, entering a new market, or acquiring a family asset with future-proof potential, our advisory-led approach connects you to India’s most credible ultra-luxury real estate opportunities.
To explore how the right property can preserve and grow your wealth, reach out to us at hello@squarea.io or call +91 90 9641 9641.