Indian real estate developers are placing greater emphasis on legal functions as regulatory requirements, transaction complexity, and governance expectations deepen across the sector. What was once treated as a support role is now increasingly being built into project planning, deal structuring, and risk oversight from the outset.
According to Moksha Bhat, Managing Partner at AP & Partners, “Real estate is becoming more mature as a sector, and the level of sophistication in how deals get structured has gone up sharply. The inherent complexity here comes from financing, licensing, and land acquisition, and navigating that combination increasingly requires internal and external counsel working together.”
As per the reports, BPTP has been strengthening its legal capabilities as developers look to build more robust internal systems for land evaluation, development planning, and transaction execution. As project pipelines become more complex and capital allocation more disciplined, legal teams are being brought closer to business decisions rather than being consulted only at the documentation stage.
Adding to this, Mr. Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Legal Officer, Elan Group said, “The legal function in Real Estate Sector over a period of time has undergone a fundamental shift in the light of the regulatory framework and the ever-evolving legal framework and more organized and regularized sector. Today, however there is a major shift with the legal team being involved and their active participation being there right from the very conceptualization and initiation covering the evaluation of land opportunities, business development opportunities, transaction advisory, structuring of transactions, assessing and reviewing the legal and regulatory framework, compliances and implications and anticipating risks, risk analysis, risk management and risk mitigation.”
Adding to that, Sachin Bhandari, CEO, VTP Realty, said, “As Indian real estate becomes increasingly regulated, developers have to be firmly on the right side of the law. With RERA and the growing number of compliances with periodic updations, the responsibility on developers has increased significantly. At the same time, customers today are far more aware and informed. In this environment, the role of the legal team has become much more critical, not just for documentation, but right from evaluating land titles and finalising the right legal structure to ensuring timely compliance with RERA and other regulations. Legal today is an integral part of project planning and execution, not a function that comes in at the end.”
This evolving role of legal leadership is also reflected in the hiring strategies of developers across the industry. Hero Realty has appointed Sachin Sharma as Chief Legal Advisor as the company expands its presence in NCR and northern markets. Sharma brings over 22 years of post-qualification experience, having previously served as the senior-most legal advisor at Eldeco Infrastructure & Properties, with expertise across litigation strategy, insolvency resolution, structured finance, real estate transactions, capital markets and regulatory compliance.
Commenting on the appointment, Amarendra Mishra, CHRO, Hero Enterprise, said, “As we continue to scale our operations, Sharma’s expertise will play a key role in strengthening our governance, compliance, and overall organisational culture.”
In a similar development, Anant Raj has named Arun Kumar, formerly with Jaypee Infratech, as head of legal. The appointment comes as the listed developer steps up residential and commercial projects across the National Capital Region and other growth markets, where land, approvals and transaction structuring require tighter legal oversight.
The shift is visible across the sector as companies respond to a more structured real estate environment, where legal review now begins much earlier in the development cycle. Industry players say the legal function is increasingly being seen as a safeguard for investors, lenders, and customers alike, helping improve certainty across transactions and project execution.
A stronger legal function is therefore becoming part of the business architecture of real estate companies, especially as they balance growth with governance and regulatory discipline. The trend points to a sector where legal teams are no longer seen only as support units, but as active participants in shaping how projects are structured and executed.
