Warehouse leasing rises
India saw a surge in warehousing and industrial leasing — about 11 million square feet booked in early 2026 — driven largely by e‑commerce, 3PLs and auto firms. Major users cited include Amazon, Blinkit, Reliance and DHL, signalling rising demand for regional fulfilment capacity (The Economic Times).
India’s warehouse market started 2026 with a sharp jump in leasing, as companies booked 11 million square feet in January through March. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Colliers India said leasing across the top eight cities rose 22% from a year earlier, the strongest first-quarter showing in four years. Delhi-National Capital Region led with 28% of demand, followed by Chennai with 21%. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) (nbmcw.com) Third-party logistics companies, which run storage and delivery networks for other brands, took about one-third of the space. E-commerce and automobile companies together accounted for another 32%, with Amazon, Blinkit, Reliance and DHL among the named occupiers. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) (businessworld.in) The shift is tied to how goods move across India now. Online retail and quick-commerce operators are adding smaller, faster delivery networks, while manufacturers and logistics firms are taking larger regional hubs to keep inventory closer to buyers. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) (jll.com) That demand builds on a strong 2025. Colliers said industrial and warehousing leasing reached 36.9 million square feet last year, up 16% year on year, with large deals making up 45% of total take-up. (colliers.com) Recent company leases show what that expansion looks like on the ground. DHL Supply Chain India leased 417,735 square feet in Bhiwandi in November 2025, and DHL also renewed 317,000 square feet in Panvel in October 2025. (cnbctv18.com) (business-standard.com) Amazon signed one of the larger recent deals too, taking 559,000 square feet in Hooghly near Kolkata on a 20-year lease in September 2025. The deal added capacity in eastern India, where large modern warehouses have been thinner than in western and southern hubs. (housiey.com) Colliers said Hyderabad and Bengaluru also posted Grade A warehousing growth at two to three times last year’s first-quarter levels. For landlords and logistics operators, that means the race for regional fulfillment space is widening beyond the biggest legacy corridors. (nbmcw.com)
