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India market and business update: November 2026

10 November 2026
India’s economy continues to demonstrate strong growth, supported by investment and expanding economic activity across multiple sectors. India’s growth forecast by the International Monetary Fund was increased from 6.4% to 7% in its October 2026 World Economic Outlook, reinforcing India's position as one of the world's most attractive destinations for long-term capital investment.

India's real estate sector has become one of the strongest indicators of the country's broader economic transformation. What was once viewed largely as a cyclical, developer-driven market is increasingly attracting institutional capital seeking exposure to long-term structural trends, including urbanisation, rising household incomes, infrastructure development and the expansion of domestic capital markets.

The continued expansion of India's built environment will depend not only on the availability of capital, but on whether power generation, transmission networks and supporting infrastructure can scale quickly enough to meet growing demand. For investors, this creates opportunities not only in real assets but also in the energy systems that will underpin India's next phase of growth.

Current investment trends

India's real estate sector continues to attract significant institutional capital, reflecting confidence in the country's long-term economic expansion. According to a joint report by Anarock and FICCI, the real estate sector was valued at approximately US$600 billion in 2025, up from US$120 billion in 2017, and is projected to reach US$1 trillion by 2030. Real estate's contribution to India’s GDP is expected to rise from around 6% in 2017 to 13% by 2030, underlining its growing importance to India's economy.

The value of real estate under construction has also risen significantly, with residential projects accounting for the majority of development activity. The residential market is evolving alongside rising wealth levels. Demand from high-net-worth individuals is driving growth in branded residences, with the number of ultra-luxury branded housing projects expected to more than double by 2032. This trend highlights investor confidence in India's long-term wealth and the continued expansion of premium real estate segments.

The expansion of India's real estate and infrastructure sectors is creating significant opportunities across the wider economy, particularly for steel, engineering and manufacturing businesses. The total value of real estate under construction across residential, office, retail and warehousing assets reached approximately US$503 billion in 2025, representing more than a fivefold increase since 2009. This construction boom is helping drive demand for building materials, engineering services and industrial products.

Reflecting this trend, India is expected to remain the world's fastest-growing major steel market, with demand forecast to increase by 7.9% in 2026 and a further 8% in 2027. Growth is being supported not only by real estate development but also by manufacturing expansion, logistics infrastructure and industrial investment, reinforcing the interconnected nature of India's growth sectors.

Energy and investment

With India’s economy continuing to expand and investment increasing across sectors including real estate, construction and steel, demand for the country’s energy infrastructure will continue to grow. The rise in demand for electricity and energy is expected to continue, driven by industrialisation and the growth of high-energy sectors, including data centres and artificial intelligence.

For India to meet its increasing energy needs, continued investment in the energy sector will be required to strengthen the country’s energy security. Alongside this, India’s target to achieve net zero emissions by 2070, announced at COP26, together with its clear efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, creates investment opportunities in renewable energy and the infrastructure required to support it.

Wind power is one area of renewable energy attracting continued development and investment in India. The Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association has highlighted that India currently has 59.2 GW of installed wind capacity, with an aim to increase this to 100 GW wind capacity by 2030. This expansion presents opportunities for investment in wind power generation, as well as the infrastructure required to support and integrate additional renewable power.

In transitioning to cleaner energy, India is also investing in green hydrogen, which is produced through processes such as electrolysis. This process splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, using electricity from a renewable source such as wind. For hard-to-abate sectors such as steel and cement, both of which are important to the construction sector, green hydrogen has the potential to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. By 2030, India aims to have the capacity to produce at least 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually.

India’s increasing reliance and requirement for energy provides opportunities for investment in additional generation capacity, renewable energy projects and the supporting infrastructure required to meet rising electricity demand and facilitate India’s continued economic growth.

Conclusion

The growth of India’s economy and the expansion of sectors such as real estate, construction and manufacturing are increasing the country’s energy requirements and the importance of energy security. To support this continued growth and strengthen India’s energy security, further investment will be required across the energy sector, particularly in renewable energy and supporting infrastructure.

DWF is a leading legal adviser to Indian and India-focused companies, financial institutions and high net worth individuals and families. Our India Group, consisting of 108 lawyers from 9 countries, 16 practice areas and 9 sector groups, is the largest India group of any international law firm located outside India.

Dhruv Chhatralia BEM, the Head of the DWF India Group, was named to the India Business Law Journal’s International A-List 2024 featuring the world’s top-tier international lawyers outside India, based on recommendations by general counsels and lawyers at Indian law firms, for his work on cross-border aspects of India-related matters. DWF was ranked as an International Firm to Watch by the IBLJ in 2025. DWF was also shortlisted for the award of “Legal Practice of the Year” at the 6th Annual UK-India Awards in 2024 based on the achievements of the DWF India Group. Further details about the DWF India Group can be found on the following webpage: https://dwfgroup.com/en/services/india-group.

While we do not practice Indian law as per the country’s current regulatory framework, we have strong relationships with leading Indian law firms with whom we collaborate to provide a seamless service to our clients. If you have queries on any of the issues covered in this article, please do get in touch with me.

We would like to thank Dayna Versani, Emma McMeekin, Lara Jansen van Rensburg and Kataura Quayson for their contribution to this article.

Further Reading