Foreign Investments Surge by 139% in India's Real Estate Sector, Reaching USD 436 Million in Q3 2024 – Vestian Report

Institutional investments in the real estate sector witnessed an annual growth of 41% in Q3 2024, reaching USD 0.96 Bn. However, it sharply declined from USD 3.1 Bn record investments received in the previous quarter. Despite this significant quarterly decline of 69%, the outlook remains positive as investment nearly touches a billion mark.

The significant uptick in investments compared to the previous year is a testament to India’s robust economic growth amid prevailing geopolitical challenges. As a result, the share of foreign investors increased from 27% in Q3 2023 to 46% in Q3 2024. Conversely, the share of domestic investors declined to 43% in Q3 2024 from 71% in the same quarter a year earlier. However, the decrease was only 15% in terms of value.

Shrinivas Rao, FRICS, CEO, Vestian said, “Investors have shown confidence in India’s growth story on the back of robust GDP growth. As a result, the real estate sector witnessed increased participation from foreign investors which led to institutional investments touching a billion mark in Q3 2024. Additionally, domestic investors are also actively participating, supported by the rapid infrastructure development across the country.”

Residential assets were the first preference for domestic investors during Q3 2024 whereas foreign investors accounted for 64% of the commercial deals. Growing prominence of work-from-office mandates and GCCs (global capability centres) lured foreign investors, leading to an increase in the share of commercial investments from 24% in Q3 2023 to 71% in Q3 2024. On the other hand, the share of residential sector reduced to 19% in Q3 2024 from 44% in the same period a year earlier. However, investment in residential assets is expected to grow in the coming quarters as niche asset classes such as co-living, senior housing, and serviced apartments are gaining traction.

Furthermore, Chennai received the highest investments during Q3 2024 with 48% share. Majority of investments in the city were concentrated in industrial & warehousing, commercial, and residential sectors.

Moreover, proptech platforms have also garnered traction with 22% share of total investments recorded during Q3 2024. The share is likely to inflate further with the extensive use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the real estate sector.

The sharp quarterly decline in institutional investments highlights the volatility in India’s real estate sector, but the increased foreign investor participation and growing focus on technology-driven solutions like proptech suggest a promising outlook. As market conditions stabilize and niche asset classes gain traction, the sector is expected to witness renewed growth in the coming quarters.