Coworking Operators Lease 1.91 Lakh Seats Across 8 Cities In Jan-Jun With 68% Annual Rise: Cushman

Co-working centre operators have leased over 1.91 lakh seats to corporates across the top eight cities during the January-June period, a 68% annual increase, amid rising demand for flexible managed office spaces, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

These operators leased 1,91,306 desks during the first six months of this year as against 1,13,623 in the year-ago period.

Real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield noted that corporates are increasingly preferring to adopt flexible workspace solutions offered by the coworking operators.

As per the data, the leasing of coworking seats in Bengaluru rose 32% to 57,487 desks in the January-June period from 43,616 desks in the corresponding period of the preceding year.

In Hyderabad, the coworking operators leased 40,451 desks during January-June 2026, a more than two-fold jump from 14,936 units in the year-ago period.

Mumbai too saw a sharp jump as coworking operators leased 25,820 desks in the first half of this year as against 11,226 desks in the year-ago period.

To set up centres, the coworking operators took on rent 8.4 million sq ft office spaces in January-June 2026, a 55% increase from 5.4 million sq ft in the year-ago period, the consultant said.

Ramita Arora, Executive Managing Director, Bengaluru & Head - Flex, India, Cushman & Wakefield, said, "Flexible workspaces have firmly established themselves as a core element of corporate real estate strategies." As enterprises seek greater agility and efficiency, flex and managed office solutions are becoming an integral part of long-term workplace planning, Arora said, adding that the global capability centres (GCCs) continue to be a significant demand driver.

Arun Narayan, Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer, BHIVE Workspace, said, "Flex leasing, which accounted for only a small share of commercial leasing in India a few years ago, now contributes close to 20% of annual commercial leasing activity, reflecting how fundamentally workplace preferences have shifted. Against this backdrop, leasing nearly 70% more seats in the first half of the year is a strong indication of the growing preference for flexible, enterprise-ready workspaces."