Strong start to office markets, sustained leasing activities in Q1 2024: Vestian Report

As per the latest office market report from Vestian, absorption increased to 13.40 Mn sq ft in Q1 2024 from 11.85 Mn sq ft in Q1 2023, showcasing a  13% increase Y-O-Y. However, the absorption declined by 31% this quarter after peaking in Q4 2023. Southern cities (Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad) accounted for 61% of the Pan-India absorption in Q1 2024 its share increased from 54% a year earlier. 

Absorption more than doubled within a year in Chennai and Mumbai, whereas it increased by 51% in Hyderabad. All the other cities witnessed a decline over the same period a year earlier. Moreover, IT-ITeS sector dominated absorption with 47% share, followed by the BFSI sector with 11% share. Flexible spaces garnered interest from large conglomerates post-pandemic, accounting for 8% of the pan-India absorption in Q1 2024.

Shrinivas Rao, FRICS, CEO, Vestian said, “2024 started on a positive note as major office markets of India witnessed sustained absorption activities. ‘Return to Office’ mandates are likely to renew demand for office spaces across the country and may drive the next wave of growth amid global headwinds.”

Absorption:

City

Q1 2024

Q4 2023

Q1 2023

Q1 2024 vs Q4 2023

Q1 2024 vs Q1 2023

Bengaluru

2.62

4.80

3.30

-45%

-21%

Chennai

3.35

1.30

1.60

157%

109%

Hyderabad

2.27

4.30

1.50

-47%

51%

Mumbai

2.49

3.10

1.20

-20%

108%

Kolkata

0.16

0.23

0.35

-30%

-54%

Pune

0.71

2.60

1.50

-73%

-53%

NCR

1.81

3.00

2.40

-40%

-25%

Total

13.40

19.33

11.85

-31%

13%


New completions followed the same trend and witnessed an annual increase of 26%, reaching 10.8 Mn sq ft in Q1 2024. However, new completions declined by 27% over the previous quarter. While Bengaluru dominated new completions with 3.7 Mn sq ft, Hyderabad reported nearly 2.5 Mn sq ft of supply during Q1 2024.

New Completions:

City

Q1 2024

Q4 2023

Q1 2023

Q1 2024 vs Q4 2023

Q1 2024 vs Q1 2023

Bengaluru

3.7

4.5

2.7

-18%

37%

Chennai

0.6

2.5

0.9

-76%

-33%

Hyderabad

2.5

2.3

1.6

9%

56%

Mumbai

1.0

1.5

NIL

-33%

NA

Kolkata

NIL

NIL

0.4

NA

NA

Pune

1.7

1.3

1.3

28%

31%

NCR

1.3

2.6

1.7

-50%

-24%

Total

10.8

14.7

8.6

-27%

26%


Absorption surpassing new completions led to a slight improvement in occupancy levels across the country. Currently, vacancy level stands at 13.8%, which may improve further in the second half of 2024, owing to the growing prominence of ‘Back to Office’ mandates.

Weighted Average Rentals Value (INR/sq ft/Month):

City

Q1 2024

Q4 2023

Q1 2023

Q-o-Q% Change

Y-o-Y% Change

Bengaluru

85

85

83

0.0%

2.4%

Chennai

60.5

59.5

58.4

1.7%

3.6%

Hyderabad

66.9

66.6

63

0.4%

6.2%

Mumbai

126.4

124.5

122

1.5%

3.6%

Kolkata

46.7

45.3

45

3.1%

3.8%

Pune

78.2

76

73

2.9%

6.8%

NCR

67.7

67

65.3

1.0%

3.7%


Sustained absorption activities and limited new completions in the past year guided rentals northward. As a result, rentals appreciated across the top seven cities in the range of 2.4% to 6.8% over the previous year. Pune witnessed the highest annual increase in rentals due to robust demand for office spaces with a majority of transactions, around 37%, concentrated in the manufacturing and engineering sector.

Mr. Rao further added, “domestic investors are bullish about India’s growth story and may contribute significantly to the future growth of office spaces in India.”

The report provides an overview of the Indian office market's performance in Q1 2024, highlighting sustained leasing activities, absorption trends, new completions, and rental values across major cities. The data indicates positive momentum in the market, driven by increased demand from sectors such as IT-ITeS and BFSI, as well as growing investor confidence. Overall, the article offers valuable insights into the current state of the office market in India and its future outlook.