India bids to turn Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru into global transit hubs—airport retail dwell set to swell

With 85% of India's connecting traffic still routed via Gulf hubs, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are pitching for transit volume with eased immigration, airside baggage transfer and a 20-minute transfer target. A 30-month air train at Delhi and 1-in-4 passengers already transferring point to a step-change in captive airport retail footfall.

— Source publishedMon, 22 Jun, 2026, 06:00 IST·First seen Mon, 22 Jun, 2026, 06:14 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

Delhi Airport (DEL) · India is pushing Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru airports as global transit hubs to rival Dubai and Doha, with liberalised immigration,

Key facts

  • 85% connecting traffic via foreign hubs
  • 17 international destinations
  • 20-minute transfer time
  • 30 months for air train
  • 1 in 4 transfer passengers at Delhi

Why this matters

Scout bolt-on duty-free, travel-retail and airside F&B platforms with exposure to DEL/BOM/BLR—window to acquire pre-rerating closes as transit volume thesis becomes consensus.