Thought Leadership

APREA’s flagship event, the Asia Pacific Real Assets Leaders’ Congress, highlighted Asia’s growing importance as a prime investment destination amidst global macroeconomic shifts.

Key points:

• Japan was spotlighted for its stability and opportunities in real estate, with rising demand in sectors like offices, logistics, and residential markets. Innovations such as data centers and J-REITs with stable yields were also emphasized as attractive investments.
• India’s booming logistics and REITs and InviTs sectors, driven by strong domestic demand and liberalized regulations, make it a compelling choice for global investors seeking growth.
• Emerging sectors across Asia, including data centers, life sciences, and senior housing, were identified as promising opportunities, particularly as ESG considerations and technology integration reshape real assets.
• Despite challenges such as China’s economic headwinds and regional geopolitical uncertainties, the conference underscored the importance of adapting investment strategies and leveraging Asia’s growth story to navigate the evolving global real assets landscape.

The rise of mixed-use development platforms has prompted hospitality brands to diversify their offerings, expanding into residential spaces such as resort villas and luxury apartments to cater to a broader audience. This note provides an overview of the concept of Branded Residences and explores how the Indian market is adapting and evolving with this trend. As the hospitality sector in India is still relatively new to Branded Residences, this note highlights key features, incentives, and regulatory considerations, serving as a guide for both the hospitality and real estate sectors to make informed decisions.

In today’s highly competitive Asia Pacific retail market, retailers must continually create innovative products, services and experiences to differentiate themselves from their peers. With brick-and-mortar retail remaining an integral part of consumers’ shopping journey, retail real estate continues to play a major role in the creation and delivery of innovative brand experience.

Based on its market-leading research, CBRE has identified 12 attributes that nurture innovation in retail real estate across four pillars: 1) Market size; 2) Consumer profile; 3) Retailer growth strategies; 4) Spaces that tell a story.

CBRE has used these attributes to create the Asia Pacific Retail Innovation Index, which analyses the innovation performance of major cities in Asia Pacific and identifies their strengths, weaknesses and relative appeal to retailers.

The report also provides recommendations to retailers and landlords on how to spark innovation and creativity in their portfolios to address the retail industry’s evolving needs and expectations.

Around the world, main streets serve as cultural and economic powerhouses that shape the identities of the cities they anchor. In its 34th year, Cushman & Wakefield’s Main Streets Across the World report confirms the value of main streets worldwide, key economic and social trends shaping their value, and the role they play in crucial global and local business decisions.

A New Era of Main Streets

Despite economic challenges, main streets have shown remarkable resilience as headline rents globally finally surpass prepandemic levels. Retailers continue to target prime locations for their strategic importance and potential for customer attraction, demonstrating their flexibility and strength by adapting to shifting economic conditions and consumer demands. Challenges like rising interest rates and inflation have dampened consumer confidence—yet forecast further rate cuts bring a hopeful outlook for recovery. Retailers are navigating cost pressure challenges while adapting to shifting consumer loyalty trends that demand an omnichannel customer journey, making main street locations increasingly critical arenas for longterm business growth.

The Indian ports sector is witnessing increased private sector participation, particularly by way of Public-Private Partnerships (“PPP”). The government has facilitated private sector participation by adopting investor friendly PPP models and streamlining tender processes and concession agreements for major ports. Due to multiple regulatory authorities and differing practices of port authorities, mergers and acquisitions in the ports sector in India are associated with unique considerations that potential acquirers should bear in mind. This note discusses the key regulatory and contractual considerations relevant to mergers and acquisitions in the ports sector in India.

Aakanksha Joshi

Partner,
S&R Associates

Ameesha Tripathi

Associate,
S&R Associates

Apurv Sharma

Counsel
S&R Associates

Rajat Sethi

Partner
S&R Associates

India’s education sector, forecast to reach a market size of USD 313 billion by FY2029-30, is experiencing rapid growth, driven by a robust economy, burgeoning population and urbanisation, rising per capita incomes, and conducive government policies.

The country’s comprehensive education system is characterised by its scale and breadth, with 1.49 million K-12 schools educating approximately 265 million students. Additionally, its higher education sector is among the largest globally, encompassing nearly 59,000 institutions and enrolling an estimated 43 million students.

As a cornerstone of economic development, India’s education sector has garnered substantial interest from both public and private stakeholders. The government’s commitment to education, as evidenced by the significant budgetary allocation over the years, is expected to foster further growth. Moreover, the sector has witnessed significant foreign direct investment (FDI) equity inflows of USD 9.5 billion since 2000.

While these developments are encouraging, achieving the ambitious objectives outlined in the National Education Policy 2020 necessitates a further strategic increase in budgetary expenditure – a gradual increase in education spending from 2.7% of the country’s GDP in FY2023-24 to the targeted 6% is imperative to ensure the sector’s sustained progress.

Notably, India’s education sector prioritises social good over profit generation, involving a combination of ‘not-for-profit’ activities and ‘for-profit’ administration. Private entities play a significant role by contributing through various business models, encompassing infrastructure and facilities development, strategic investments for expansion, or the provision of management and administrative services.

As the sector grows, there is a corresponding need to strengthen educational infrastructure across the country, presenting significant opportunities for real estate developers and investors.

CBRE India conducted a real estate opportunity assessment to evaluate the additional space requirement of K-12 and higher education institutions that can accommodate the projected growth in student enrolment in India. Our real estate opportunity assessment for India’s education sector indicates an estimated 4+ billion sq. ft. of additional space requirement by 2034-35.

Over the course of 2024, CBRE has been tracking the emergence of a curious phenomenon across the Asia Pacific retail property market.

Despite slower retail sales growth, subdued consumer confidence, and a raft of negative headlines about certain retailers’ weaker-than-expected performance, retailers across a range of categories continue to aggressively seek expansion opportunities; a trend that is pulling down prime vacancy and driving up rents.

This Viewpoint explains the factors driving this trend and provides recommendations to retail landlords and occupiers seeking to chart a course through what is an increasingly complex marketplace.

In the first half of 2024, Asia Pacific’s data center markets reached nearly 12GW in operational capacity, adding 1.3GW of new supply, marking the largest recent increase. Demand matched this growth, signaling healthy market conditions. The region has 4.2GW under construction and 12.0GW in planning, a 2.8GW rise since the end of 2023. The top six markets—Chinese Mainland (4.2GW), Japan (1.4GW), India (1.4GW), Australia (1.2GW), Singapore (0.98GW), and South Korea (0.65GW)—account for 85% of the total capacity. Malaysia (Johor) led in growth with an 80% rise, followed by India at 28%. Both nations also show strong development pipelines. Japan, India, and Australia are seeing increased investment from cloud service providers and colocation players, with their overall capacities projected to reach 4GW or more. Chinese Mainland leads with 6.5GW, while South Korea’s growth remains modest due to regulatory changes. Across the region, policies focus on energy efficiency, innovative technologies, and carbon footprint reduction to support ongoing expansion.

As we navigate the dynamic landscape of India’s commercial real estate market, it is evident that the industry has shown remarkable resilience and growth, even in the wake of global economic challenges. The impressive GDP growth projections for FY 2025 and beyond underscore India’s position as the fastest-growing major economy. This economic vitality is a catalyst for the office space market, driving occupier activity and creating a buoyant environment for growth.

The commercial real estate industry stands at a pivotal juncture, with unique opportunities to realign and reinvent workspaces. Occupiers are now looking beyond basic amenities to focus on employee well-being, and flexible office space operators are well-positioned to meet these evolving demands. The industry’s ability to provide customized, flexible office solutions is increasingly favoured by not just freelancers and startups, but also by medium and large enterprises.

The growth and resilience of India’s office space market is evident from the sustained increase in transactions and the rising share of flex spaces. Flex space operators are expanding in Tier 1 cities and venturing into Tier 2 cities, reflecting the diverse and growing market needs of the occupier landscape.

The industry’s evolution from coworking spaces to managed offices reflects its ability to adapt and thrive in changing business environments. Furthermore, the integration of ESG principles and emerging technologies into operations underscores its commitment to sustainability and operational efficiency. These initiatives not only enhance user experience but also align with the strategic priorities of modern businesses.

Flex space operators are not only ready for the future but are actively shaping it. Investments in technology, ESG initiatives, and flexible offerings position them to meet the demands of today’s discerning occupiers. With India’s robust economic growth and the industry’s innovative approach, the future looks promising.