India-US Trade Deal: Boosting Real Estate Demand and FDI
India and the United States signed a major trade pact on February 2, with Washington reducing tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, giving New Delhi a competitive edge over export rivals such as China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Experts believe this agreement could indirectly affect the real estate market by boosting foreign direct investment in commercial real estate and strengthening demand for office space, particularly for global capability centres.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced on February 3 that the deal is in its final stages of detailing between the negotiating teams of both countries. He emphasized that the deal is not just about trade but also about integrating India into global value chains (GVCs) and attracting investments worth lakhs of crores into the country. Goyal highlighted that this deal will help India access world-class technology in Artificial Intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and critical minerals, as well as pave the way for high-performance data centres and Global Capability Centers (GCCs) to be set up in India.
Real estate experts say that the agreement, which rolled back punitive tariffs on Indian exports from around 50% to about 18%, is expected to ease macroeconomic uncertainty and improve investor sentiment. JLL, a global real estate consultancy, noted that the sectors expected to benefit the most include textiles and apparel, chemicals, leather, and gems and jewellery. The deal is widely seen as reducing the uncertainty that had weighed on Indian markets and the rupee, and as improving business sentiment.
“Indirectly, the benefits on India’s real estate market are undeniable. Lower trade tensions and a stronger currency support capital inflows and foreign investment confidence, which historically helped commercial and residential property markets. Conversely, without such an agreement, tariff-related export stress had risked slowing broader economic growth, potentially dampening demand in the price-sensitive real estate sector,” said Samantak Das, Chief Economist and head of Research and REIS, India, JLL.
The commercial real estate sector is expected to benefit from higher global institutional funding. Lower tariffs could boost manufacturing-led businesses, while rising exports are likely to attract engineering research and development-focused global capability centres, driving increased demand for leased commercial space, according to Das.
US companies have become major players in India’s commercial real estate market. A JLL report in 2025 showed that while foreign institutional investment declined as a percentage of total activity, absolute foreign capital deployment increased by 18% year-over-year, demonstrating continued confidence in Indian real estate fundamentals. American-based investors showed particularly robust commitment, increasing their investment from $1.6 billion in 2024 to $2.6 billion in 2025, a substantial 63% year-over-year growth.
Santhosh Kumar, Vice Chairman of ANAROCK Group, said, “The India-US trade deal, if finalised and ratified, can have a moderately positive effect on India's real estate market by potentially lowering tariffs on building materials, reducing developers' input costs, bringing in more FDI into commercial real estate, and increasing demand for office spaces as US companies expand in India.”
Apart from the Trump Organization, which has a limited footprint in India, there are other US-based real estate firms active in India. “They stand to benefit from improved trade relations,” said Kumar.
As per industry estimates, in 2025, institutional investments in real estate stood at the highest ever at $8.4 billion, which was much higher than the $7.1 billion recorded in 2024. Much of this increase was contributed by domestic investors as foreign investors were pulling back capital from emerging economies due to weakening currency. However, the US-India trade deal could reverse that trend as the rupee is expected to strengthen, and the currency risk element is mitigated to some extent.
On the GCC leasing volume, it was recorded at 29 msf in 2025, which was a 33% share of overall leasing volume. This segment was clearly the biggest driver of demand. US-based GCCs contributed the most (~75%) of this demand, reinforcing the strong economic ties between the two nations, say real estate experts.
Blackstone, the largest foreign real estate investor in India, has been present in the country since 2005. Their portfolio spans commercial offices, data centres, retail malls, logistics and industrial parks, hotels, and residential projects. Blackstone's significant presence in India underscores the growing interest and confidence of US investors in the Indian real estate market.
The Trump Organization, US President Donald Trump's family-run business, has treated India as its most significant market outside the US over the past decade. Of the six Trump-branded projects announced in India so far, four have already been completed in Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Gurugram. Operating on a high-margin, zero-investment model, the firm neither buys land nor funds nor constructs projects. Instead, it licenses the Trump brand for luxury real estate developments and collects branding and development fees upfront.
In 2025, Brand Trump has been on an aggressive expansion drive in India. The Trump Organization, along with its Indian partner Tribeca Developers, announced a commercial project in Pune and a branded residences project in Gurugram. Other firms with interests in India include Tishman Speyer, which has partnered with Kasturi Housing on a Grade A commercial project in Balewadi, Pune. Marriott International has also tied up in the branded residences and hospitality space with various Indian developers across different cities.
In conclusion, the India-US trade deal is expected to have a positive ripple effect on the real estate sector, driving FDI, reducing input costs, and increasing demand for office spaces. This could lead to a more robust and vibrant real estate market in India, benefiting both domestic and international investors.
