As enterprise workplaces become more focused on agility, efficiency, and workforce experience, their workplaces are experiencing a paradigm shift. Old office spaces are becoming obsolete and are making room for smart, technology-driven, and service-driven workspaces that offer continuity, talent acquisition, and scalability. In the light of changing dynamics of business operations through artificial intelligence, hybrid work environments, and sustainable practices in corporate real estate, managed workspaces providers have become an important stakeholder.
At the forefront of this transformation is COWRKS, backed by Brookfield Properties. The company has established itself as one of India's leading managed workspace providers, delivering enterprise-grade workspaces across major business hubs.
Driving compny's growth is Mr. Mattew Parambil, Vice President & National Head – Revenue, COWRKS, who has played a key role in expanding the company's enterprise workspace business across India. With extensive experience in commercial real estate and enterprise solutions, he has been instrumental in helping organizations develop workplace strategies that combine flexibility, operational excellence, and technology-enabled experiences.
In this exclusive conversation, The Realty Today speaks with Mattew Parambil, Vice President & National Head – Revenue, COWRKS, about the evolving enterprise workplace landscape, the growing role of artificial intelligence in shaping future workspaces, how organizations are measuring workplace performance, and the strategic priorities that will define the next phase of growth for India's managed workspace sector.
Here are the excerpts from the interview:
1. As enterprises increasingly focus on optimizing their real estate portfolios, what key factors are influencing workplace decisions today, and how do you see these priorities evolving over the next few years?
Enterprise real estate strategies have become significantly more business-driven than they were a few years ago. Workplace decisions today are influenced by an organisation's need for agility, talent accessibility, operational efficiency and financial flexibility rather than simply acquiring office space. Companies are increasingly seeking portfolio models that allow them to scale up or down quickly while maintaining consistent workplace experiences across multiple cities.
Another important shift is the move from asset ownership towards service-led workplace models. Enterprises are evaluating how workplaces contribute to employee collaboration, innovation, productivity and business continuity. As AI, automation and hybrid work continue to reshape organisations, we expect workplace strategies to become even more dynamic, with greater emphasis on technology-enabled operations, sustainability, data-driven occupancy planning and flexible infrastructure. The workplace is evolving from a fixed real estate asset into a strategic business platform that supports long-term organisational growth.
2. With AI and digital transformation reshaping how teams collaborate and operate, how do you foresee workplace design and infrastructure evolving to support the future of work?
Artificial intelligence is changing not only how businesses work but also how workplaces function. Future workplaces will become increasingly intelligent, leveraging occupancy analytics, predictive maintenance, energy optimisation and workplace management platforms to improve both operational efficiency and employee experience.
From a design perspective, we are already seeing a transition towards activity-based work environments that accommodate focused work, collaborative interactions, client engagement and informal knowledge sharing within the same ecosystem. Technology will become seamlessly embedded into workplace infrastructure through touchless access, integrated collaboration tools, smart meeting rooms and connected building systems. As organisations adopt more AI-enabled workflows, workplaces will also need to offer the digital resilience, cybersecurity and infrastructure necessary to support increasingly data-intensive operations.
Workplaces that integrate AI-driven operations with human-centric design will become competitive differentiators for enterprises, enabling them to attract talent, enhance productivity, and respond agilely to market changes.
3. Beyond flexibility and cost efficiency, organizations are now looking for measurable business outcomes from their workplaces. What workplace metrics are becoming most important for enterprises, and how can managed workspace providers help deliver them?
The metrics that matter are employee collaboration effectiveness, talent retention rates, speed of expansion into new markets, operational continuity, and employee experience scores. These directly correlate to innovation, competitiveness, and bottom-line performance.
Managed workspace providers are uniquely positioned to deliver these outcomes because they operate across multiple dimensions. Operationally, we eliminate administrative friction - enterprises don't manage leases, negotiations, or compliance; we handle it. We enable enterprises to understand how spaces actually drive collaboration and productivity. Strategically, because we manage multiple locations, we benchmark best practices across organizations, identify patterns, and continuously optimize design and operations.
4. COWRKS has built a strong presence in the enterprise workspace segment. What do you believe has been the key differentiator behind the brand's success in attracting and retaining large corporate clients?
Three factors differentiate COWRKS in the enterprise segment:
First, we are a strategic partner, not a landlord. We provide end-to-end solutions - design, operations, technology, scalability across multiple cities. Backed by Brookfield Properties' expertise, we understand enterprise-grade requirements: compliance, security, governance, global standards. We handle complexity so enterprises can focus on growth.
Second, operational consistency at scale. Enterprises expanding across 5-10 cities need identical service standards and unified technology. We have built systems and culture to deliver reliable, consistent experiences everywhere. A team in Bengaluru gets the same quality and compliance as one in Mumbai or Hyderabad.
Third, we anticipate growth trajectories. We design flexibility into contracts and infrastructure. A client growing from 200 to 800 seats scales seamlessly without disruption or renegotiation. This frees their real estate teams from logistics.
We reduce complexity, deliver consistency, and enable predictable enterprise expansion.
5. Sustainability and employee well-being are increasingly influencing workplace decisions. How is COWRKS integrating these priorities into its workspace strategy and client offerings?
Sustainability and employee wellbeing are now integral components of workplace strategy rather than optional additions. Organisations increasingly recognise that healthier, more sustainable workplaces contribute directly to employee engagement, operational efficiency and long-term business resilience.
COWRKS integrates both strategically. On sustainability - energy efficiency, renewable systems, and green certifications reduce costs while meeting corporate commitments. On wellness - natural light, air quality, ergonomic design, biophilia, and community spaces are built-in, not add-ons.
The ROI is clear. Enterprises report lower absenteeism, higher retention, and improved productivity. For talent-led organizations, demonstrating genuine commitment to sustainability and wellness is a competitive advantage. We measure impact through employee satisfaction, wellness engagement, and energy metrics, enabling continuous improvement and demonstrating measurable value to our clients' leadership.
6. As the flexible workspace sector continues to mature, what are the key strategic priorities that will define the next phase of growth for COWRKS, and how do you envision the brand evolving over the next three to five years?
The managed workspace industry is entering a new phase where success will be defined by strategic partnerships rather than transactional leasing. Enterprises increasingly expect workplace providers to deliver scalability, operational consistency, technology integration and business continuity across multiple markets.
Looking ahead, our focus will remain on strengthening enterprise solutions, expanding our presence in high-growth business districts and enhancing digital workplace capabilities. We also see significant opportunities in supporting companies entering India as well as helping domestic businesses scale nationally through flexible workplace solutions. The future of managed workspaces will be built around enabling business growth, accelerating market entry, supporting talent strategies and delivering workplaces that adapt as organisations evolve. That is where we believe the industry is headed, and where we see the greatest opportunity to create long-term value for our clients.
