The country was ranked 31st in the previous edition and was among the top five most-improved markets globally. It was also the most-improved market in the Asia Pacific region.
The report said the improvement was supported by a maturing regulatory environment, the expansion of the real estate investment trust (REIT) ecosystem and higher investment activity.
India recorded its strongest improvement in the Regulatory & Legal parameter, rising from 37th to 19th globally and from ninth to sixth in Asia Pacific. JLL attributed this to the maturation of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), FDI liberalisation and the digitisation of land registries through initiatives including the National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM), NAKSHA and the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).
Investment and REIT market expansion
Private equity investment in Indian real estate reached $10.5 billion in 2025, up 17% year-on-year, while investment stood at $4.3 billion in the first half of 2026, an increase of 25% year-on-year.
India’s listed real estate ranking improved marginally to 35th globally from 36th. The office REIT market expanded from 104 million square feet in 2024 to 164 million square feet in 2026, with REIT-worthy assets accounting for 46% of India’s Grade A office inventory, according to JLL.
India retained its 10th position globally and third in Asia Pacific in the Transaction Process parameter.
The availability of data on commercial real estate financing conditions has improved, supported by increased institutional investment and the expansion of the REIT market.Sustainability and data centres
India’s sustainability ranking improved to 27th globally from 29th, while its Asia Pacific ranking remained at seventh.
Green-certified Grade A office stock increased from about 39% in 2020 to 66% in the first half of 2026, JLL said. The report also noted gaps in areas including Scope 3 reporting, property-level energy disclosures, climate risk reporting and resilience planning.
India’s data centre capacity is projected to rise from 1.6 GW to 6 GW by 2029, requiring an estimated $110 billion in investment. Global hyperscalers have committed more than $50 billion towards AI-ready facilities, while self-builds account for nearly 30% of new capacity.
JLL said further improvements in real estate transparency would depend on deeper performance disclosures, better credit market data, verified building performance metrics and greater use of artificial intelligence in due diligence and market analysis.
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