Karan Virwani on India’s new growth playbook: Flexibility, talent and scale

Flexible Workspaces Dominate New Office Leasing in India

Flexible workspaces now account for nearly 20% of all new office leasing in India, reflecting a significant shift in how businesses are approaching growth, talent, and scalability.

A New Era of Hybrid Work Models

• India's GCC ecosystem is expanding rapidly, with global companies increasingly viewing the country as a strategic hub for innovation and operations.
• The rise of hybrid work models is driving the adoption of flexible workspaces across the country.
• Flexible workspaces are becoming a key component of India's commercial real estate sector.

Karan Virwani on India's Evolving Business Landscape

Speaking at the WeWork India presents CNBC-TV18 The Titans summit, Karan Virwani, MD & CEO, WeWork India, highlighted the country's transition from supporting global businesses to building globally significant companies from within its own ecosystem.

“For years, India helped build global businesses. Now, increasingly, global businesses are being built from India,” he said.

Mr Virwani also emphasized that WeWork India sees itself as a key player in building the infrastructure layer that helps ambition grow, going beyond traditional real estate.

Panel Discussion Highlights

• The Rise of Flex Spaces & Hybrid Real Estate panel discussion explored how hybrid work, rising GCC demand, and changing workforce expectations are accelerating the adoption of flexible workspaces.
• Karan Virwani highlighted how businesses are rethinking traditional workplace models in favour of agility and distributed operations.
• Gulam Zia noted that commercial real estate in India is facing a serious supply-side constraint while demand continues to rise rapidly.

Rise of Flexible Workspaces and Hybrid Real Estate Models

The conversations at the summit highlighted how businesses are rethinking growth, talent, and scale in a rapidly transforming economy.

Rising investor confidence in REITs, improving infrastructure, and India's growing talent ecosystem are reshaping long-term demand across commercial real estate and flexible workspace models.

Flexibility, speed, and future-ready infrastructure emerged as central themes for businesses looking to scale in an increasingly dynamic environment.