New Delhi: Investments in the Indian real estate sector by institutional entities touched USD 3.6 billion during January-September 2022, an 18 per cent increase year-on-year, led largely by office space demand, data collated by Nasdaq-listed global professional services and investment management company Colliers showed.
Investments into the office sector rose 53 per cent year-on-year during the first three quarters of 2022. “The inflows during year-to-date were driven by the office sector that accounted for 50 per cent share, followed by the retail sector that saw some large deals,” Colliers said in a statement on Thursday.
It said while investors remain committed to the Indian market, the hovering global “recessionary concerns” can lead to some delay in the deployment of funds.
“The office sector has seen a healthy recovery since late last year with occupiers leasing large spaces as now offices are seen as a place for collaboration. Institutional investors are eyeing greenfield and ready office assets with large portfolios, with a view to bundle them up as REITs in the future,” it said.
The capital in the Indian real estate sector is getting more broad-based with active participation also from domestic institutional and retail investors, said Piyush Gupta, Managing Director, Capital Markets and Investment Services, Colliers India.
Domestic investors have become more active in the market, with their investment inflows accounting for 18 per cent share, compared to 14 per cent share during the same period last year.
“The sentiment of global investment firms to invest in India remains strong in spite of global slowdown trends. The current state of economics, with respect to inflation and interest rates, is not perceived to have a long-term impact,” Gupta added.
During January-September 2022, Delhi NCR saw the highest share of inflows at 21 per cent, followed by Mumbai and Bengaluru.
The year 2022 has seen several platform deals between institutional investors and developers for specific sectors. Industrial and logistics assets are high on investors’ radars.
“With global investors partnering with local developers, there is ample dry powder to be invested in the Indian real estate market, especially in the office, and the industrial sectors. Over the next few quarters, while there may be some slowdown in deployment of funds due to the recession, we believe that the Indian market is relatively well-insulated and investors continue to view it favourably,” said Vimal Nadar, Senior Director and Head of Research, Colliers India.
