India has risen five places to 26th in JLL’s 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index. Cross-border investment reached a 20-year high of $8.1 billion, while office REIT stock rose 58%. Further reforms could determine India’s ability to attract capital into data centres and AI infrastructure.
India has strengthened its position on the global real estate map, rising five places to 26th in JLL’s Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2026. The country has entered the “Transparent” tier for the first time, making it one of the world’s five most-improved markets and the biggest improver in the Asia-Pacific region.
The upgrade comes alongside a major increase in international capital flows. Cross-border real estate investment in India reached $8.1 billion, its highest level in 20 years. Across Asia-Pacific, India ranked ahead of Vietnam, South Korea, Australia and Thailand among the markets showing the greatest improvement in transparency.
Why Transparency Matters to Investors
For commercial real estate investors, transparency is closely linked to capital access. The index considers how easily investors can assess property values, income, ownership structures and regulations, as well as how consistently those rules are applied.
That matters because institutional investors often operate under mandates that specify which markets they can enter. Moving into the Transparent tier can therefore broaden the pool of global funds able to consider Indian real estate.
The connection between transparency and investment is particularly relevant as the region experiences a rebound in cross-border activity. The report notes that Asia-Pacific accounted for half of the world’s ten most-improved markets, while India and Vietnam recorded their highest-ever transaction volumes.
REIT Growth Strengthens Market Visibility
One of the clearest structural changes behind India’s progress has been the expansion of listed real estate investment trusts. India’s operational office REIT stock increased by 58% in 2026, reaching 164 million sq ft, up from 104 million sq ft in 2024.
The growth of listed commercial property creates more publicly available information on valuations, occupancy and income. REITs are required to provide regular disclosures, giving investors greater visibility into the performance of underlying assets.
In this sense, the improvement is not simply the result of a policy announcement. The expanding listed real estate market is creating a broader, more consistent data ecosystem that directly supports the factors measured by transparency benchmarks.
Data Centres Could Be the Next Test
Despite the progress, JLL’s findings indicate that further reforms are important if India is to fully benefit from emerging investment opportunities, particularly in AI and data centres.
Data centres require significant amounts of capital, land and infrastructure and are increasingly attracting international investors. As global funds assess these opportunities, transparency, regulatory consistency and reliable market information can influence where capital is deployed.
India’s move to 26th marks a notable shift, but the report makes clear that the journey is continuing. With cross-border investment at a 20-year high and listed office assets expanding rapidly, the country’s next challenge will be turning stronger transparency into sustained institutional investment across the broader real estate and infrastructure ecosystem.
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