Leasing of retail space in malls, high streets across seven metros up 54% in 2025: Report

NEW DELHI: Driven by improved supply and strong retailer demand, leasing of retail space in malls and high streets grew 54% last year across seven major cities, according to real estate consultant JLL India. Delhi-NCR recorded the highest retail space leasing at 3.02 million sq ft in 2025, followed by Bengaluru with 2.97 million sq ft, Hyderabad at 2.91 million sq ft, and Mumbai at 2.1 million sq ft. Kolkata stood at 0.65 million sq ft, Chennai at 0.59 million sq ft, and Pune at 0.24 million sq ft.JLL noted that the new supply of retail space reached 6.3 million sq ft last year, driving higher leasing activity. By the end of 2025, total retail space in shopping malls across the top seven cities stood at nearly 92 million sq ft. “Demand from domestic retailers continued to accelerate, accounting for 82% of 2025’s gross leasing activity. Additionally, 29 new foreign brands entered India last year, the highest in the past five years,” said Rahul Arora, JLL Senior MD (Karnataka, Kerala), to news agency PTI.Gross leasing includes space leased in malls, high streets, and prime retail developments. Of the total leasing in 2025, shopping malls contributed 45%, while high streets accounted for 48%.