CHENNAI | 22 August 2026: Global property consultancy Knight Frank is considering India as the location for its first Global Capability Centre (GCC), with plans under discussion to bring together three existing Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in India, Malaysia and Poland. The firm has been evaluating the opportunity for the past six to seven months, according to William Beardmore-Gray, Senior Partner and Group Chair, Knight Frank LLP. A member of the firm’s international leadership team is expected to visit India shortly for initial scoping. The proposed consolidation is being considered for 2028, subject to the outcome of the evaluation.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • India under consideration for first GCC: Knight Frank is evaluating India as the location for a global capability centre that could bring together its existing CoEs.
  • 2028 consolidation timeline: The firm is considering bringing its CoEs in India, Malaysia and Poland together by 2028.
  • India’s growing strategic importance: India is currently Knight Frank’s third-largest market globally, after the UK and Australia, according to Beardmore-Gray.
  • Initial scoping underway: Discussions have progressed over the past six to seven months, with an international team member expected to visit India for initial scoping.

Founded in 1896 and headquartered in London, Knight Frank is an independent global property consultancy with a network spanning 600+ offices, more than 50 markets and over 21,500 people. Knight Frank has been operating in India since 1995 and today has offices across major Indian markets including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune. India’s growing importance within Knight Frank’s global business is a key factor behind the proposed expansion of its CoE presence.

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India’s growing importance within our global business has been a key consideration to expand our COE presence here.

– William Beardmore-Gray, Senior Partner and Group Chair, Knight Frank LLP

Beardmore-Gray also pointed to the depth of India’s talent pool, the maturity of its real estate ecosystem and the country’s growing importance within Knight Frank’s global business. He described the proposed CoE as a potential long-term investment in talent, capability and innovation, rather than simply an operational centre.

INDIA’S REAL ESTATE MOMENTUM

The proposed GCC comes as India’s commercial real estate market continues to expand.

According to Beardmore-Gray, India’s office market crossed the one-billion-square-foot milestone in office stock last year. He also highlighted the scale of Bengaluru’s office market, noting that the city recorded approximately 25 million sq ft of annual office take-up, compared with a long-run annual average of around 12 million sq ft in London.

India’s attractiveness also extends beyond domestic demand. Beardmore-Gray noted growing interest from investors from Japan, Singapore and the Middle East, with opportunities spanning offices, industrial and logistics assets, warehouses, data centres, hotels and infrastructure.

Industry Insights

Proofpoint’s expansion highlights several broader shifts in India’s capability-centre ecosystem:

  1. Eclipsing Legacy Markets: According to Knight Frank’s internal data, the Indian commercial real estate landscape is experiencing exponential growth, crossing the one billion sq ft milestone in office space stock last year.
  2. The Bengaluru vs. London Metric: Highlighting this explosive scale, Beardmore-Gray noted a staggering data point: while the long-run average of office take-up in London sits at 12 million sq ft annually, the tech capital of Bengaluru alone absorbed 25 million sq ft.
  3. Global Capital Influx: Beyond technology talent, India is rapidly becoming a primary destination for sovereign and institutional capital. With massive investments flowing from Japan, Singapore, and the Middle East into Indian data centers, warehousing, and logistics, deploying a central GCC places Knight Frank’s intelligence teams directly at the epicenter of global real estate wealth creation.

IN CONCLUSION

If the proposal moves forward, Knight Frank’s India GCC would mark a significant step in consolidating its global capability footprint and further strengthen India’s role in the firm’s technology, analytics and real estate services ecosystem.

Curated by SSF Global

Tracking the shifts shaping GCCs, enterprise ecosystems, and the future of global business.

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SSF Global is a Global Community for Enterprise Function Leaders and serves as a research & advisory platform focused on Global Business Services (GBS), Global Capability Centres (GCCs), and the evolution of enterprise innovation in India and beyond. We track, publish, and partner in narratives that shape how capability centres transform into hubs of trust, intelligence, and sustainable growth. We also evaluate, assess and benchmark the GCCs for their performance, maturity and other parameters using our proprietary tools built from the knowledge gained from direct interaction with our members (GCCs & GBS).