Capital Markets

Mumbai, April 23, 2026: Knight Frank, the leading independent global property consultancy today launched its landmark 20th edition of The Wealth Report which reveals a dramatic acceleration in global wealth creation despite substantial geopolitical uncertainty, concerns over rising interest rates and uneven economic performance. The world’s ultra-high-net-worth individual (UHNWI, USD 30m+) population increased by 162,191 between 2021 and 2026 – equivalent to 89 new UHNWIs every day – bringing the global total to 713,626.

Chennai, April 23, 2026: Knight Frank, the leading independent global property consultancy, in its landmark 20th edition of The Wealth Report 2026, highlighted that Chennai now accounts for 4.8% of India’s ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) population. This marks a rise from 1.3% in 2015 to 4.8% in 2025. On a global scale, the ultra-high-net-worth individual (UHNWI) population (USD 30 mn+) grew by 162,191 between 2021 and 2026—adding the equivalent of 89 new UHNWIs every day. This takes the total global UHNW population to 713,626.

Bengaluru, April 23, 2026: Knight Frank, the leading independent global property consultancy today launched its landmark 20th edition of The Wealth Report. According to Knight Frank’s Prime International Residential Index (PIRI) Tracker: How much prime property does USD 1mn buy?, Monaco retains its position as the world’s most expensive prime residential city in 2025, where with USD 1mn, one can purchase just 16 square meters (sq m) of prime residential space, followed by Hong Kong (23 sq m) and Geneva (28 sq m).

This year’s edition of The Wealth Report reveals how private capital is adapting to a fractured geopolitical landscape, seeking agility, targeting value‑add opportunities and responding to significant shifts in real estate markets

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The “flight-to-quality” movement that was evident in the previous quarters seem to have tapered off, which was supported by the lack of new supply of premium office buildings and strong occupancies of existing buildings.
• According to data compiled by Savills, the vacancy rate for CBD Grade A offices dipped by 0.1 of a percentage point (ppt) quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) to 6.6% in Q1/2026. This was the second consecutive quarter of decline and the lowest since Q3/2024 when vacancy was at 6.1%.
• The limited supply pipeline and low vacancies of premium offices enabled landlords to have strong holding power and increase the asking rents. As such, average CBD Grade A office rents continued to rise for the eighth consecutive quarter by 0.6% QoQ to S$10.02 per sq ft in Q1/2026.
• Although geopolitical tensions remain high, the low vacancy levels and a low new supply environment is shoring up Grade A CBD office rents. Considering all these points, we have revised our rental forecast for 2026 upward, from 2% to a range of 3%–5% year-on-year (YoY) growth. Gross rents could receive additional upward support should energy costs rise further, and landlords pass these increases through to tenants.

ASIA PACIFIC DATA CENTRE MARKET OVERVIEW

Asia Pacific continued its sharp growth, adding about 1,557MW of capacity to its operational stock during 2025. The development pipeline also increased by 5,033MW during the same period. Despite the sharp increase in operational stock, the vacancy declined from 12.4% in H2 2024 to 10.9% in H2 2025 reflecting strong demand for digital infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region.

India’s flex space market has undergone one of the most dramatic transformations in the country’s commercial real estate history. From a niche category accounting for just 2.2 mn sq ft of transactions in 2017, the segment has expanded to 18.6 mn sq ft in 2025, representing an 8.4× increase over eight years and a CAGR of 30%, significantly outpacing the broader office market, which grew at 9% during the same period. This structural outperformance reflects a fundamental realignment in how occupiers from global enterprises to early-stage startups conceive of, consume, and contract for workspace.

Asia Pacific Investment Insights – March 2026 report finds investment volumes reached US$162billion in 2025, an 8% year‑on‑year lift, supported by improving market clarity, easing financial conditions and renewed buyer confidence.

Key highlights include:

• Domestic capital remains the region’s anchor, with cross‑border investors re‑engaging in Hong Kong, Singapore and India.
• South Korea, Japan and Singapore led volumes, while Singapore (35%) and India (29%) posted the strongest annual growth.
• Offices continue to dominate, logistics hit US$30.1billion, and retail rose 15% as sentiment improved. Alternatives remain the fastest‑growing segment.
• Investors are shifting “from caution to conviction”, with a more selective, quality‑driven approach shaping activity.

With stabilising interest rates and gradually recovering cross‑border capital flows, momentum is set to strengthen further in 2026.