India flexible office space tops global maturity index

India flexible office space has kept its position as the world's most mature flexible office market, scoring 100% on Cushman and Wakefield's Flexible Office Market Maturity Index. The finding is from the firm's Global Trends in Flexible Office 2026 report, reported by Construction World and ETHRWorld.

India's flexible office inventory reached 88.7 million sq ft in H1 2026, 10.5% of the country's total office stock. The flexible office inventory is projected to cross 100 million sq ft in 2026 and reach about 160 million sq ft by 2030. At 10.5% of total office stock, the India flexible office space share is among the highest in the world.

India flexible office space: 88.7 million sq ft and counting

Flexible office operators leased 8.5 million sq ft across India's top eight cities in H1 2026, their strongest first-half performance to date. That 8.5 million sq ft is the strongest first half India flexible office space operators have recorded. Flex accounted for around 20% of overall office leasing in the half.

Between 2023 and 2025, operators leased 44.1 million sq ft, representing more than 720,000 seats. That three-year total averages about 14.7 million sq ft a year, so the H1 2026 pace of 8.5 million sq ft is running ahead of that average. Demand for managed offices averaged 350 to 500 seats per requirement over that period. Managed office requirements of that size point to companies taking whole floors rather than a handful of desks, and flex seats demanded annually rose from around 38,000 in 2020 to an estimated 300,000 in 2026.

India flexible office space: where operators leased most

Flex operators accounted for 35% of overall office leasing in Pune, 33% in Ahmedabad and 26% in Hyderabad in H1 2026. Tier-II cities are emerging as growth markets, and Indian operators are expanding internationally. As Tier-II cities emerge, India flexible office space operators are following occupiers into smaller cities.

The city shares show how far the model has spread beyond the biggest markets. Pune's 35% share means more than a third of the city's office leasing in the half went to flex operators, and Ahmedabad's 33% is close behind. Hyderabad's 26% share keeps it in the same bracket, and the three cities together show India flexible office space demand spreading beyond the biggest markets.

On-demand bookings put India second

Upflex analysed nearly 23,000 on-demand bookings and found India's share of global bookings rose from 2.2% in H1 2025 to 10.2% in H1 2026, making India the second-most active market after the US. The on-demand bookings jump shows day-pass and short-term use growing alongside the longer managed-office deals.

The rise from 2.2% to 10.2% in a year is the sharpest move among the markets Upflex tracks, making India flexible office space the second-most active on-demand market in the world. On-demand bookings give companies a way to test the model before signing for managed space, and India's numbers suggest that testing is turning into demand. Managed office requirements still anchor the growth, even as on-demand use rises alongside them.

What the maturity score means

Ramita Arora, Executive Managing Director, Bengaluru and Head of Flex, India, at Cushman and Wakefield, said: "India's position in the global flex market reflects how deeply the model has become embedded in the country's office ecosystem. Flexible offices today can support businesses across the lifecycle of their real estate requirements, from establishing a presence to scaling teams and managing longer-term portfolio needs."

The 100% score puts India flexible office space ahead of every other market the index covers. Ramita Arora's point is that flex in India now covers the full arc: a company can enter a city with a few desks, scale to a managed floor, and keep the longer-term portfolio under one operator.