India Leads Globally in Flexible Office Space Maturity Index: Report
India has topped Cushman & Wakefield’s global maturity index for co-working spaces, scoring 100, ahead of the UK, France, US, Japan, and Singapore. The report highlights the country's robust flexible office market, driven by rising demand for managed and flexible workspaces.
Flexible Office SpacesCoworking SpacesReal EstateCushman WakefieldIndiaReal Estate NewsSep 20, 2025
On Friday, the real estate consultant C&W released a report titled 'Global Trends in Flexible Office 2025'. The report highlights the robust and mature nature of India's flexible workspace market, which has been assessed based on several key metrics.
India has scored a perfect 100 on C&W's maturity index, surpassing well-established office markets such as the United Kingdom (98%), France (97%), the United States (81%), and both Japan and Singapore (77%). The maturity score was calculated based on the flexible inventory as a percentage of total office space, the number of flexible providers present in the market, leasing activity of flexible providers, and the presence of emerging flexible agreement structures.
At present, India is the largest flexible office market in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, with 79.7 million square feet of stock across the top eight cities as of June 2025. The total portfolio of co-working operators is expected to reach around 85 million square feet by December this year and surpass 100 million square feet by 2026.
Ramita Arora, Managing Director Bengaluru and Head - Flex, India, Cushman & Wakefield, emphasized the unique strengths of India's flexible office sector. 'India's flexible office sector is widely recognized as a global pacesetter. What sets it apart is the maturity, diversity of operators, and its ability to pivot with demand—qualities that many Western markets are still developing,' she stated.
Co-working space providers have also highlighted the sharp rise in demand for managed workspaces post-COVID pandemic. Neetish Sarda, founder and MD of Smartworks, noted, 'India's commercial office stock is expanding at an unprecedented pace, with flexible workspaces becoming integral to modern enterprise culture. This momentum, fuelled by corporates adopting Core + Flex models, reflects the need for capital efficiency, workplace agility, and sustainability without compromising the employee experience.'
Shesh Rao Paplikar, Founder & CEO of BHIVE Workspace, added, 'India's flexible office market is growing quickly, with demand coming from both large enterprises and mid-sized Global Capability Centers (GCCs). Companies are looking for offices that can scale easily, offer a better experience for their people, and simplify day-to-day operations.'
Manas Mehrotra, Founder of 315Work Avenue, highlighted the significant role co-working spaces are playing in reshaping the commercial real estate landscape. 'The demand has gained greater traction with corporates and MNCs continuing to make a beeline to co-working centers that have emerged as strong centers of growth. This trend is also being significantly fuelled by the expansion of Global Capability Centers (GCCs).'
Aashit Verma, Founder of Hanto Workspace, noted that the demand for co-working spaces is supported by strong economic growth, which is driving both domestic and international businesses to adopt cost-optimized solutions for their real estate growth. 'With India's flexible office inventory projected to cross 100 million square feet by 2026, we see this as a strong signal that businesses of all sizes value agility and collaborative environments.'
The C&W report also mentioned that four co-working operators have already gone public, with more IPOs expected in the near future, signaling heightened transparency, governance, and investor confidence. 'The next 3-5 years are expected to bring consolidation, with leading players cementing their market share while niche and regional operators continue to serve specialized requirements,' the consultant said.
In conclusion, India's flexible office market is poised for continued growth and innovation, driven by the evolving needs of businesses and the increasing adoption of flexible work models.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Global Trends in Flexible Office 2025 report?
The 'Global Trends in Flexible Office 2025' report, released by Cushman & Wakefield, assesses the maturity of flexible office markets globally based on various metrics such as flexible inventory share, number of providers, leasing activity, and new agreement structures.
Why did India top the maturity index for co-working spaces?
India topped the maturity index due to its robust demand for flexible and managed office spaces, the presence of a diverse range of operators, and the ability to adapt to changing market demands.
What is the current size of India's flexible office market?
India is the largest flexible office market in the Asia-Pacific region, with 79.7 million square feet of stock across the top eight cities as of June 2025.
How is the demand for co-working spaces changing post-COVID?
Post-COVID, the demand for managed workspaces has risen sharply, driven by the need for capital efficiency, workplace agility, and sustainability without compromising the employee experience.
What are the future projections for India's flexible office market?
The total portfolio of co-working operators in India is expected to reach around 85 million square feet by December 2025 and surpass 100 million square feet by 2026.
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