Resurfacing a Q1 2026 report: Delhi-NCR retail leasing jumped 45% as fashion and F&B fuelled demand
Data show retail-space leasing in Delhi-NCR reached 0.59 million sq ft in Q1 2026, up from 0.41 million sq ft a year earlier. Malls accounted for 64% of activity, with demand for organised space outstripping quality supply.
What happened
Delhi-NCR retail market · Delhi-NCR retail-space leasing rose 45% year-on-year in Q1 2026 to 0.59 million sq ft, led by fashion and F&B demand. Malls captured
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 contributed 36%
- Delhi-NCR held a 30% share of leasing across the top eight cities
- Top-eight-city leasing fell 10% to 1.95 million sq ft from 2.17 million sq ft
- Top-eight-city retail leasing totaled 9.21 million sq ft in calendar year 2025
Why this matters
Retailers and mall owners should accelerate partnership, expansion and redevelopment discussions in Delhi-NCR before limited quality organised space further raises entry costs.
What to watch
- Quarterly Delhi-NCR leasing volumes and the share of mall versus high-street transactions.
- Net effective rent growth, revenue-share terms and vacancy levels at leading NCR malls.
- New mall completions, delayed projects and pre-leasing rates across Gurgaon, Noida, South Delhi and Dwarka.
- Same-store sales and store-level EBITDA trends for fashion, beauty, F&B and entertainment tenants.
- Consumer discretionary-spending indicators, inflation, interest rates and corporate hiring trends in NCR.
- Tenant churn, lease renewals and the pace of international brand entries into the region.
- Fashion, beauty and quick-service restaurant chains are likely to prioritise premium mall locations and experiential formats over standalone high-street expansion.
- Mall operators may raise asking rents, shorten rent-free periods and favour tenants offering stronger revenue shares or destination footfall.
- Developers will accelerate leasing of under-construction retail within mixed-use projects, using anchor commitments to secure financing and smaller-brand demand.
- Retailers facing scarce prime space may pursue shop-in-shop, smaller format, omnichannel fulfilment and suburban catchment strategies.
- Institutional investors may increase interest in stabilised, high-occupancy NCR retail assets as rental-growth expectations improve.