India has secured the 6th position globally in live branded residence projects, contributing 4% to the world’s total supply, according to Knight Frank’s The Residence Report 2025. The country also ranks 10th in the pipeline of upcoming developments, underscoring its fast-rising appeal in the global luxury living market.

Driven by a growing base of nearly 86,000 ultra-wealthy individuals, India’s branded residence segment is expanding rapidly across cities like Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, and Pune, with Goa and Uttarakhand emerging as new lifestyle destinations. Knight Frank notes that India’s young but evolving market is blending global brand prestige with culturally attuned design, positioning the country among the most dynamic frontiers for luxury branded living in Asia-Pacific.

India’s position highlights its growing, but still nascent role, in the segment compared to global leaders like the USA, UAE, and UK. Importantly, the country’s rising wealth base is fuelling future demand. In 2024, India was home to nearly 85,698 individuals with a net worth of USD 10+ mn, representing 3.7% of the global high-net-worth population. This expanding affluent base is fuelling demand for branded residences that blend global brand prestige with culturally attuned design and world-class amenities.

Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, and Pune lead India’s branded residence landscape, while Goa and Uttarakhand are emerging as key lifestyle and second-home destinations. Knight Frank notes that the country’s rapidly evolving real estate ecosystem, coupled with its strong luxury demand, positions India as one of the fastest-growing frontiers for branded developments in the Asia-Pacific region.

Shishir Baijal, Chairman and Managing Director, Knight Frank India, said, “India’s branded residence sector is still relatively young but is rapidly making its mark on the global stage. Ranking 6thworldwide for live projects and backed by a fast-expanding wealth base of nearly 86,000 ultra-rich individuals, India represents one of the most significant pools of future demand for branded living. What makes the market unique is the way these residences blend international brand prestige with culturally nuanced design and services, appealing to buyers who seek exclusivity, security, and a truly global lifestyle. From landmark high-rises in Mumbai and NCR to emerging leisure destinations like Goa and Uttarakhand, branded residences are set to redefine the meaning of luxury living in India.”

THE GLOBAL BRANDED RESIDENCE SURVEY 2025

Knight Frank’s The Residence Report 2025 is a comprehensive annual study that examines luxury residential development worldwide, centered around the firm’s Global Branded Residence Survey. The findings confirm that the sector continues to expand rapidly, with double-digit annual growth and a robust future pipeline of hotel and non-hotel luxury brands entering the space.

For this year’s Global Branded Residence Survey, Knight Frank assessed the portfolios of nearly 80 luxury brands, from established hotel groups such as Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton to newer entrants like Bentley and Aston Martin. More than 1,000 live and pipeline schemes were reviewed across 83 countries, revealing an increasingly diverse sector in sustained growth mode.

Liam Bailey, Global Head of Research commented, “The branded residences sector has experienced strong sustained growth, with the number of schemes rising from 169 in 2011 to 611 today and a forecast 1,019 by 2030. Unit numbers have surged in parallel – from just over 27,000 in 2011 to more than 162,000 projected by 2030. Momentum has accelerated since 2023, fuelled by growing demand for branded living and developers’ appetite for premium positioning.”

A Growth Sector

While growth is expected to moderate after 2028, the sector is projected to keep expanding, supported by increasing geographic diversity and the entry of new non-hotel brands.

Us Dominance is (Only Slowly) Eroding

North America remains the dominant region for global branded residences- particularly the US– although its share of schemes is declining, from 32.7% of live schemes to 26.2% of pipeline projects. The Middle East shows the most significant increase, with its share of pipeline developments (26.7%) well ahead of its share of live projects (15.9%), driven largely by rapid expansion in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Asia-Pacific’s share is expected to ease, despite a strong pipeline in markets such as Thailand and India. This year’s survey indicates that developers are increasingly targeting growth markets in the Middle East, Latin America and beyond.

The Global Centre of Gravity is Shifting Eastward

Over time, the centre of gravity for global branded developments has been shifting steadily eastward – and slightly southward. Using the average latitude and longitude for all live and pipeline schemes, we can see how US dominance in the 1990s positioned the global centre of activity well to the west of the Atlantic. Since then, growth in Asian markets – and, more recently, in the Middle East – has pulled this point progressively eastward.

Hotel Brands Dominate, Now and in the Future

With new brands entering the residences sector seemingly every day, you might be forgiven for thinking that car, fashion, sport or watch brands are the main story. They’re not. In fact, 83% of existing branded residences are hotel brands, and while this share is forecast to dip slightly in the future, it will remain at around 80%.

With Actual Hotels Increasingly an Optional Extra

Looking at hotel brands alone, the vast majority of live schemes (82%) are, perhaps unsurprisingly, co-located with a hotel. However, looking at the future pipeline, this is set to dip to 70%. North America and the Middle East are the leaders in going it alone, with 49% and 43% of pipeline hotel branded schemes respectively being planned as standalone developments.