The physical outlines of Indian real estate sector are expanding, driven by shifting demographic priorities, convergence of transit infrastructure and digital transformation. India Next Real Estate Summit 2026, presented by Hindustan Times and Brickcircle and held at Bharat Mandapam, brought together industry leaders, policymakers and institutional investors to look at this sector in transition. Moving a step beyond standard discussions, the two-day summit established that the future of Indian urbanisation relies on building entire cohesive economic ecosystems rather than making standalone developments.
Nisheeth Upadhyay, Editor and Chief Operating Officer of HT Media Digital, opened the summit by setting a clear macro perspective. He spoke about how that the real estate sector is no longer confined to traditional brick-and-mortar definitions. Instead, it has evolved into a key pillar of national infrastructure and urban transformation. Upadhyay highlighted how critical this summit is as a platform for identifying emerging asset classes, aligning regulatory frameworks and assessing how technology can systematically address long-standing structural challenges within the industry.
Connectivity and affordable urbanisation
The formal proceedings of the two-day summit commenced with a panel that underlined that regional mobility is fundamentally changing land valuations. In the opening address, Kankana Mukherjee, Executive Editor of HT Media, introduced the core themes of the event alongside the summit’s partner, BrickCircle, represented by co-founders Dr Satya N Gupta, former Principal Advisor, TRAI and Dr Anil Mundhe.
During the inaugural keynote session, titled ‘Namo Cities, Regional Connectivity and the Future of Affordable Urbanisation’, Gaurav Gupta, Secretary of CREDAI National, pointed out that mass transit networks like the Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) and multimodal transport corridors are decentralising economic growth. Gupta observed that the National Capital Region’s population has scaled from nearly 3.7 crore in 2000 to over 7.8 crore today, making systematic planning an immediate necessity rather than a long-term choice.
“The question before us is not whether NCR will grow – it will. The question is: how will it grow? Will it be haphazard, fragmented, and unsustainable? Or will it be planned, connected, affordable, and inclusive?” Gupta said.
He described the Centre’s Namo Cities vision as an essential strategy to build distinct, master-planned urban centres along the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways rather than overextending existing cities. To address environmental imperatives under the CREDAI Bharat Mission, he announced a targeted reforestation framework where thirty trees are planted for every residential unit sold by participating developer members.
Premiumisation vs market accessibility of luxury realty
The market dynamics of the Delhi-NCR region provided a sharp contrast between high-value investments and end-user affordability, driven by deep-rooted structural transformations rather than simple price appreciation.
In a session moderated by Vandana Ramnani Mitra, Editor – Real Estate at Hindustan Times Digital, panelists delved into the capital allocation patterns behind large ticket sizes in premium markets. Aakash Ohri, Managing Director of DLF Home Developers, noted that the emergence of ₹100-crore apartments in Gurugram stems from deliberate ecosystem development over multiple decades. While making a reference to flagship projects like the DLF Camellias in Sector 42, Gurugram, Ohri said: “DLF has worked very hard to create what can be called the Beverley Hills of India. It’s a fully made in India, and especially Camellias defines that.”
He suggested that as international standards solidify within domestic projects, the market could eventually support valuations up to ₹500 crore. “Every detail, from concierge services and clubhouse amenities to environmental sustainability and seamless maintenance, must come together to justify such valuations. Luxury today is defined by convenience, privacy, wellness, and community, rather than just location or size,” he said.
He added that these micro-environments foster unique corporate and entrepreneurial networks: “You could be on the treadmill in the gym inside the complex, and the guy next to you could be a start-up founder with millions in valuation.”
Chetan Chichra, Partner at Grant Thornton Bharat, added, “Ultra luxury is defined by what buyers are getting. Standalone, a project may have everything, but it will not have the ecosystem that defines luxury.” Ankur Jalan, CEO of Golden Growth Fund, added that structural price differences between standard and ultra-luxury tiers are permanent fixtures that will continue to persist across shifting market cycles.
The shift toward experiential luxury was further detailed in a panel featuring Yukti Nagpal, Director, Gulshan Group, Prashant Tiwari, Chairman and Managing Director, Prateek Group, Sunil Tyagi, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, ZEUS Law Associates, Chetan Chichra, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat and Amit Modi, Director, County Group.
The speakers observed that global brand associations are evolving from a temporary marketing differentiator into a distinct asset subclass that commands a long-term premium based on institutionalised property management.
Infrastructure corridors and digital foundations
The direct correlation between state-led infrastructure deployment and private real estate investment remained a focal point throughout the afternoon sessions, stressing on integrated regional planning over isolated housing blocks.
Reshaping growth maps:
The next panel discussion looked at the impact of expressways and transit-oriented development (TOD) zones. The panel for this session included Sanjeev Kumar Lohia, Former MD & CEO, IRSDC and former Joint Secretary (Urban Transport), MoHUA, Salil Kumar, Director, CRC Group, Abhay Mishra, President and CEO, Jindal Realty, Bhaumik Gowande, Transport Researcher, ICCT India.
The discussion looked at resolving gaps in first and last-mile connectivity. Salil Kumar observed that despite massive metro rail expansions, commuters often spend up to an hour simply navigating the distance from their residences to the nearest terminal. “Last-mile connectivity needs to be made stronger. If we are serious about building a much larger economy, transport corridors become fundamental,” Kumar said, adding that projects like the Ganga Expressway mark a fundamental paradigm shift for regional logistics and residential accessibility.
Gowande spoked about how isolated residential projects developed without built-in public transit access limit urban efficiency, suggesting a unified authority to coordinate regional infrastructure planning. Lohia added that modern transport planning must begin by identifying actual commuter travel patterns before deploying physical capital. Mishra took the focus to how sustainable urban expansion requires robust multi-modal links that directly connect residential developments to active employment zones.
PropTech and smart infrastructure:
Transitioning from physical infrastructure to digital frameworks, the next session focused on AI, predictive analytics, and digital transparency. Garvit Gupta (Partner – Digital, Data, Analytics & AI, Grant Thornton Bharat) and Vivek Aggarwal (Co-founder and CTO, Square Yards) delved into how data-driven decision-making and smart automation are changing strategies for property management, transaction processing and customer acquisition.
The silver economy and sustainable design
As urban demographics shift, the real estate sector is also adjusting to meet the changing needs of a growing senior population and stricter environmental standards.
Senior living and care:
Addressing a crucial demographic transition, the next discussion looked into the operational and financial structures necessary to scale senior housing. The panel consisted of Tarun Mehrotra, Business Head, Gurugram and North India, DLF Ltd, Rishabh Periwal, Senior Vice President, Pioneer Urban, Anil Godara, Founder and Managing Director, J Estates, Sumathy Anantharam, Co-Founder, Manasum Senior Living, Vimal Nadar, Research Head, Colliers India, and Rajit Mehta, CEO & MD, Antara Senior Care and MD, Max India Ltd.
Complementing this discussion, Madhusudan Malhotra, Executive Vice President – Community Development at Max Group (Antara), delivered a special address titled ‘Ageing with Grace: The Art of Senior Care’, in which he highlighted the operational expertise required to manage senior care ecosystems successfully.
A green print for growth:
The next session put the spotlight on resource efficiency and climate resilience. Deepali Dhuliya (Director – Sustainability, Cushman & Wakefield), Rohit Mohan (Chief Design and Sustainability Officer, Godrej Properties), and Vibhor Jain (Founder and CEO, Carbon Guardians) discussed how integrating sustainable architecture can lower long-term operational costs and support enterprise ESG compliance.
Masterclasses in urban design
The technical sessions concluded with a masterclass on integrated townships led by Dikshu Kukreja, Managing Principal of CP Kukreja Architects.
“Nearly 90 per cent of the future urban growth which will take place in this world will happen in the global south. This means that we cannot look at solutions from other developed nations like the US. We need to shape our own future ourselves,” Kukreja said.
This was followed by a fireside chat featuring Dr Adv Harshul Savla and Aayesha Ruth Varma, which analyzed regional growth patterns and compared development methodologies between Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and South India.
Policy frameworks, institutional capital and land reforms
On Day 2 of the summit, the focus shifted towards structural policies, institutional capital allocation and emerging geographic corridors. The day opened with an address by Chief Guest, Nayab Singh Saini, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Haryana, who spoke about the future of policy support in urban real estate.
Spatially-driven demand and spiritual tourism
The economic implications of cultural tourism were evaluated by a panel featuring Abhinandan Lodha, Founder, Chairman & MD, The House of Abhinandan Lodha, Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO, India, SEA & MEA, CBRE, and Divam Kapoor, Director, DMA Infra.
Lodha highlighted the unprecedented scale of domestic travel, noting that while Vatican City receives approximately 10 million visitors annually, Ayodhya attracts close to 250 million. “When this kind of footfall comes into a destination, economic growth naturally takes place. The local economy starts participating, and we begin to see a real estate boom. The moment land becomes attractive, fewer people want to sell it. This is not a temporary phenomenon. It is long-term value creation,” Lodha explained.
Magazine added that rising disposable incomes and robust transport connectivity are changing consumer behaviour across generations. “People no longer see religious tourism as just a pilgrimage. Everybody expects that if they’re travelling for a religious destination, everything should be well planned and properly developed,” Magazine observed.
Kapoor framed the trend through a broader economic lens, and said: “Whenever people achieve something significant, they often say it was not just them, it was a higher universal force that made it possible… Faith is deeply woven into the Indian way of life, and it is important that governments recognise and support this reality.”
There was also a keynote conversation addressing transparency in land titles with Raghav Chadha, Chairman, Committee on Petitions, Rajya Sabha, and Nisheeth Upadhyay.
Global capital, second homes and regional corridors
The final afternoon of the summit focused heavily on macro-investment trends and micro-market growth variables across India.
Macro capital inflows:
A panel disussed international asset allocation amidst changing macroeconomic conditions. Panelists Amit Goenka, CMD, Nisus Finance, Santosh Kumar, Vice Chairman, ANAROCK, and Badal Yagnik, CEO & Managing Director, India, Colliers evaluated how global capital seeks stability in Indian commercial and digital infrastructure assets.
Second homes and leisure assets
Evaluating lifestyle-driven real estate, the following panel assessed the shifting dynamics of holiday homes, featuring Ashwin Chadha, CEO, India Sotheby’s International Realty, Shalin Raina, Managing Director – Residential Services, Cushman & Wakefield India, Manav Singh, Chairman, Imperial Holding Group & Auramah Valley, Amit Chopra, Director, Escala Realty India Private Limited, Suraj Morajkar, Chairman & Managing Director, Sun Estates Developers, Vikas Chaturvedi, Co-Founder & CEO, Xanadu Realty, Khushal Chopra, Managing Director, AM Realty Solutions.
The segment closed with an industry showcase on transaction technologies presented by Samir Chopra, Country Leader, eXp Realty India and Pramod Borate, Chairman & Founder Director, MasterStroke Technosoft.
Regional corridors and compliance
The concluding panels mapped out regional growth vectors and regulatory developments. A session moderated by Aarish Chhabra, Associate Editor at Hindustan Times, featured Rahul Purohit, Co-Founder & CBO, Square Yards, and Shriram Monga, Co-Founder, SRED Real Estate Consultants, who looked at emerging opportunities within the Chandigarh Tricity and Rajasthan real estate corridors.
In the final institutional panel, ‘Capital, Compliance and Confidence’, panellists Siddharth Srivastava, Partner, Khaitan & Co, Anuranjan Mohnot, MD & CEO, Lumos Alternate Investment Advisors, Manish Agarwal, Principal, HDFC Capital Advisors, Abhay Upadhyay, President, FPCE, and Santhosh Agarwal, ED & CFO, Alpha Corp Development evaluated how regulatory developments under RERA and corporate insolvency frameworks continue to strengthen investor confidence.
The summit concluded with a clear consensus – the long-term success of the Indian real estate market depends on structured public-private partnerships, a clear commitment to sustainable building, and the ongoing modernisation of digital infrastructure. The event also featured an enthralling performance by Nizami Brothers.
Note to the Reader: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times.
