India’s top seven cities have witnessed a remarkable 65 per cent increase in Grade A green-certified office stock since 2019, driven by rising demand from global occupiers for sustainability-focused buildings, according to a research report released by Anarock on Monday.
Grade A office developers are increasingly constructing buildings certified by LEED, IGBC, or GRIHA to meet this growing demand. As of the first half (H1) of 2025, around 530 million sq. ft. of the total 865 million sq. ft. of Grade A office stock in the top seven cities is green-certified. In comparison, only 322 million sq. ft. had such certification in 2019, the report noted.
With approximately 163 million sq. ft., Bengaluru leads in terms of green-certified office space, accounting for 31 per cent of the total green-certified stock across the seven cities.
The National Capital Region (NCR) follows with around 97 million sq. ft. (18 per cent), while Hyderabad contributes 16 per cent. At the lower end of the spectrum, Kolkata accounts for just 3 per cent of the total green-certified office stock.
Bengaluru not only leads in absolute numbers but also in proportion—73 per cent of its total 223 million sq. ft. Grade A office stock is green-certified, the highest among all cities.
Anarock Group Chairman Anuj Puri attributed this shift to both government-led sustainability initiatives and occupier demand.
“There is increasing awareness about the need for sustainability across all real estate segments. However, the demand for sustainable office buildings far exceeds that for green housing. A large number of occupiers, especially MNCs and GCCs, now insist on sustainability features that are only available in green-certified Grade A office buildings,” Puri said.
In contrast, the residential real estate segment in India has yet to witness a similar imperative-driven transformation, reflected in the limited availability of green-certified housing stock.
“Commercial real estate is proving to be India’s sustainability vanguard,” he added.
-IANS