CBRE Survey: Commute infrastructure a top factor for India's offices

Commute infrastructure is now a key factor for companies choosing office spaces, with 70% of firms prioritising commute and connectivity, and 18% willing to pay a premium for access to public transport, reveals CBRE’s 2026 India Office Occupier Survey.

Commute infrastructure has emerged as a key consideration for companies while selecting office spaces, with nearly 70 per cent of firms prioritising commute and connectivity and about 18 per cent willing to pay a premium for access to public transport, according to CBRE’s 2026 India Office Occupier Survey.

According to the survey, traffic congestion and lengthy commute times emerged as key infrastructure-related challenges for occupiers, with about 18 per cent stating that they would pay a premium for office assets with access to public transport. While commute times and transit connectivity remain key factors in site selection, the survey noted that corporate occupiers are increasingly assessing urban infrastructure from a broader liveability perspective.

Beyond Transit: Liveability and Other Threats

“Beyond transit, as many as 50% of the occupiers identified poor air quality (AQI levels) as a major infrastructure threat to business operations and employee experience, while 31% flagged water availability and quality concerns,” the release said. Furthermore, 29 per cent of organizations said they expect waste management and sanitation challenges to disrupt daily workplace productivity.

State-Led Infrastructure Upgrades

Apart from this, several state governments are undertaking focussed infrastructure initiatives ranging from expansion of metro network to road development.

As per the report, in Delhi-NCR, the upcoming Golden Line connecting Aerocity and Tughlakabad, is expected to become operational by 2027, along with the proposed Yamuna Pushta elevated expressway bypass to Jewar Airport, is generating strong occupier pre-commitment interest. Likewise, in Chennai, the six-lane greenfield Peripheral Ring Road, scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, is expected to improve connectivity and unlock new commercial submarkets. Pune is also witnessing infrastructure expansion through the runway extension and development of Purandar Airport, opening up cost-effective locations for technology Global Capability Centres (GCCs). “In Mumbai, the planned completion of metro lines 2B (DN Nagar–Mandale), 4 (Wadala–Kasarvadavali), and 6 (Lokhandwala–Vikhroli) by 2027 is expected to spark a leasing boom across the Worli, BKC, and Powai corridors,” it added. (ANI)

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