Delhi-NCR retail leasing jumps 45% in Q1 as fashion and F&B demand strengthens
Delhi-NCR leased 0.59 million sq ft of retail space in Q1 2026, up from 0.41 million sq ft a year earlier. Malls accounted for 64% of activity, while the region contributed 30% of leasing across India’s top eight cities, where overall leasing fell 10% amid a shortage of quality space.
What happened
Cushman & Wakefield · Delhi-NCR retail leasing rose 45% year-on-year in Q1 2026 to 0.59 million sq ft, led by fashion and F&B demand. Malls captured 64% of
Key facts
- Delhi-NCR retail leasing rose 45% year-on-year to 0.59 million sq ft in Q1 2026, from 0.41 million sq ft
- Shopping malls accounted for 64% of Delhi-NCR leasing; high streets accounted for 36%
- Delhi-NCR represented 30% of leasing across India’s top eight cities
- Leasing across the eight cities fell 10% to 1.95 million sq ft from 2.17 million sq ft
- Calendar 2025 leasing across eight cities was 9.21 million sq ft
Why this matters
Use the tightening Delhi-NCR retail market to pursue mall-owner partnerships, anchor-tenant deals, and acquisition opportunities before prime space becomes more expensive.
What to watch
- Quarterly Delhi-NCR net absorption and whether leasing remains above 0.5 million sq ft.
- Prime mall rent growth, revenue-share terms, vacancy rates and renewal spreads.
- New Grade A mall supply, delivery delays and pre-leasing levels in Gurgaon, Noida and Delhi catchments.
- Expansion announcements from apparel, beauty, quick-service restaurant, café and entertainment operators.
- Consumer discretionary spending, mall footfall and same-store sales growth during the festive season.
- Whether all-India leasing recovers from the reported 10% decline or supply scarcity persists.
- Mall owners are likely to raise asking rents for prime units, shorten rent-free periods and prioritize brands that can pay higher revenue shares.
- Fashion and F&B chains may pre-lease upcoming projects and lock in renewals earlier to secure premium locations.
- Landlords will invest more in tenant mix upgrades, dining clusters, entertainment and omnichannel infrastructure to sustain footfall and justify higher rents.
- Retailers may close weaker standalone or secondary-mall stores and redeploy capital toward dominant malls, transit-linked centers and affluent residential catchments.
- Developers may revive delayed retail components in mixed-use projects, but financing and execution will remain focused on established micro-markets.