India warehousing leasing jumps 15% YoY to 19.3M sq ft in Q1 2026, second-highest since 2023

Knight Frank India data shows top-8 city warehousing leasing climbed 15% YoY to 19.3 million sq ft in Q1 2026 — the second-highest quarterly volume since 2023. Manufacturing and 3PL demand are anchoring the surge, reinforcing retail supply chains and last-mile distribution networks ahead of festive restocking cycles.

— Source publishedThu, 21 May, 2026, 00:54 IST·First seen Thu, 21 May, 2026, 01:04 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

Knight Frank India · India's warehousing leasing rose 15% YoY to 19.3 million sq ft across top 8 cities in Q1 2026, second-highest quarterly volume since 2023,

Key facts

  • 19.3 million sq ft
  • 15% YoY
  • Q1 2026

Why this matters

Accelerate M&A or JV talks with regional 3PLs and warehousing developers while manufacturing-led demand validates supply chain consolidation theses.