India Industrial & Logistics Outlook: 2026 Update

India's Grade A industrial and warehousing supply is on track to reach 45–50 million sq ft by the end of 2026, against roughly 22 million sq ft leased across the top eight cities in the first half of the year. Supply is growing faster than demand nationally — completions rose 27% year on year while leasing rose 12% — and that divergence is the single most useful thing a buyer can understand about this market right now.

The national picture in five numbers

India industrial and warehousing market, H1 2026, top eight cities. Source: Colliers India.
MeasureH1 2026Change
Total leasing~22 mn sq ft+12% year on year
New completions~25 mn sq ft+27% year on year
Vacancy rate17.2%Rising, as supply outpaces demand
Q2 leasing~11 mn sq ft−1% against Q1
Full-year Grade A supply forecast45–50 mn sq ft—

Completions outpacing leasing by 3 million sq ft in a single half explains the 17.2% vacancy. It also explains why the national average is a poor guide to any particular city — and why the Bengaluru numbers below look so different.

Demand is concentrating, not spreading

Two markets took the bulk of the activity:

  • Delhi NCR and Chennai together accounted for more than 45% of total demand.
  • Delhi NCR and Mumbai together took more than 40% of all new supply.

For a manufacturer or investor looking at Karnataka, that concentration is the opportunity rather than the warning. National supply is being absorbed by two or three metros; the corridors that serve South Indian manufacturing are competing for a smaller share of new completions, which is why local vacancy diverges so sharply from the national figure.

Bengaluru is running against the national trend

Bengaluru against the national market, H1 2026. Bengaluru from Cushman & Wakefield; national from Colliers India.
MeasureIndiaBengaluru
Leasing growth+12%+78%
Vacancy17.2% and rising11% and falling (from 13%)
Warehouse leasing volume~22 mn sq ft3.1 mn sq ft

Bengaluru posted the fastest warehouse leasing growth of any major Indian market in H1 2026. Nationally, vacancy rose because builders delivered more than occupiers took. In Bengaluru, roughly 2 million sq ft of new Grade A supply met 3.1 million sq ft of leasing, and vacancy fell. Two markets, opposite directions, same six months.

Which sectors are driving it

The occupier mix differs between the national picture and Bengaluru, and the difference matters when you are choosing a parcel.

Share of leasing by occupier type, H1 2026.
Occupier typeIndiaBengaluru
Third-party logistics30%58%
Engineering21%—
E-commerce16%15%
Manufacturing—16%
FMCG—8%
ElectronicsNearly doubled year on year—

Two things stand out. Bengaluru's 3PL share is nearly double the national figure, which tells you the city is being used as a distribution hub as much as a manufacturing base. And electronics roughly doubled nationally — relevant in Karnataka, where Vemagal already hosts Tata Electronics and Kotoor-Belur carries a 224.5-acre MeitY-backed Electronics Manufacturing Cluster.

What a buyer should take from this

  1. Do not price a Karnataka parcel off a national vacancy figure

    17.2% nationally and 11% in Bengaluru describe genuinely different conditions. A seller quoting national softness on a tight local corridor is not describing your market.

  2. Match the corridor to your occupier type, not to the average

    If you are a manufacturer, you are competing against a leasing market that is 58% logistics in Bengaluru. Parcels specified for 3PL may not carry the power and effluent capacity a process unit needs.

  3. Watch land, not rent

    Bengaluru land prices rose 9–10% in H1 2026 against 4–5% rental growth. Where land outpaces rent, the market is pricing future scarcity.

  4. Electronics is the sector to watch in Karnataka

    Near-doubling of electronics leasing nationally, combined with the state's existing ESDM clusters and central EMC 2.0 assistance, points to where the next competition for parcels arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Is India's warehousing market oversupplied in 2026?
Nationally, supply is running ahead of demand. In H1 2026 completions across the top eight cities reached about 25 million sq ft against roughly 22 million sq ft leased, pushing vacancy to 17.2%. But that is an average across very different markets — Bengaluru's vacancy fell to 11% in the same period while its leasing grew 78%.
Which Indian cities are absorbing the most industrial space?
Delhi NCR and Chennai together accounted for more than 45% of total demand in H1 2026, while Delhi NCR and Mumbai took over 40% of all new supply. Bengaluru recorded the fastest growth rate of any major market at 78% year on year, though from a smaller base of 3.1 million sq ft.
How much Grade A industrial supply will India add in 2026?
Colliers India projects Grade A industrial and warehousing supply reaching 45–50 million sq ft by the end of 2026. Roughly 25 million sq ft was completed in the first half, a 27% year-on-year increase, so the second half is expected to add a comparable volume.
Does national oversupply mean industrial land in Karnataka will get cheaper?
The evidence points the other way in the corridors we work across. Bengaluru vacancy fell from 13% to 11% in H1 2026 and land prices rose 9–10%. National vacancy is driven largely by completions in Delhi NCR and Mumbai. This is general market information, not investment advice.
What is Grade A industrial space?
Grade A refers to modern, institutionally-built facilities — typically with clear heights above 10 metres, dock levellers, structural specification suitable for racking, compliant fire systems and professional management. It is a specification standard, not a location standard, and most Grade A stock is developer-built for lease rather than owner-occupied.

Sources

National figures: Colliers India H1 2026 research. Bengaluru figures: Cushman & Wakefield H1 2026 Logistics & Industrial MarketBeat. Karnataka corridor detail from our own area records.

Working out whether the national picture or the Karnataka picture applies to your requirement? Send us the brief and we will tell you which corridors actually have capacity.