Spotting The Trend! India's wealthy are quietly fueling a commercial real estate boom through AIFs
India's High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs) and Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals (UHNIs) are increasingly diversifying beyond traditional real estate avenues like residential apartments or luxury properties abroad. The big opportunity?
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Commercial real estate, and they're accessing it not by direct ownership, but through the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) route.
This shift is being driven by a mix of strong rental yields, growing institutional demand, and the desire for hassle-free, professionally managed investment exposure.
'That's one of the most significant trends we're seeing right now,' says Karthik Athreya, Director and Head of Strategy - Alternative Credit at Sundaram Alternates. 'HNIs and UHNIs are heavily leveraging the AIF route to get into commercial real estate. In fact, real estate is the single largest category for
AIF investments
, attracting roughly Rs73,903 crore just in the first nine months of FY25.'
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What makes this trend even more compelling is the broad base of asset classes under commercial real estate—spanning not just office spaces but also logistics, retail, and residential developments—offering investors diversification along with attractive risk-adjusted returns.
Athreya points out that India's commercial property market has been on a strong upcycle, largely due to the GCC (Global Capability Centre) boom, with India now hosting over half of the world's GCCs. This has led to record-high leasing activity, particularly in metros, boosting demand for quality office space.
'With leasing at decadal highs, there's a massive demand for quality office space,' he explains. 'As an investor, one is looking at a regular income-generating asset, typically around an 8% rental yield, with an opportunity for 4–5% additional upside through annual appreciation and rent escalations.'
Moreover, the AIF structure allows HNIs to avoid the operational burdens of directly owning commercial properties—something many high-net-worth investors find cumbersome.
'For a busy HNI, the AIF route is simply a 'no-brainer'. It helps them sidestep all the headaches of direct ownership—like managing tenants, upkeep, and exits,' adds Athreya. 'Instead, they get a slice of a professionally managed, diversified portfolio with target IRRs in the 15–18% range.'
A Strategic Bet on Interest Cycles
The timing of this uptick in HNI participation is also noteworthy. With interest rates peaking and the possibility of softening on the horizon, many investors see this as an ideal time to lock in higher yields on commercial real estate assets.
'There is a notable and growing interest among HNIs and UHNIs in India to participate in commercial real estate through AIFs, especially near the peak of the interest rate cycle—an ideal time to lock in high yields,' notes Sharad Mittal, Founder and CEO of Arnya RealEstates Fund Advisors. 'We've seen increased participation in funds dealing with pre-leased commercial assets, warehousing, and similar segments.'
These segments are seen as stable, income-generating options with predictable cash flows—an attractive proposition at a time when market volatility remains a concern for direct equity investments.
Regulatory Evolution Fueling Growth
Although the adoption of real estate-focused AIFs has been gradual, regulatory tailwinds are beginning to accelerate the trend, making it easier for fund managers to structure and offer real estate strategies through the AIF framework.
'While the growth has been slow, it's gradually picking up as the regulator is now approving RE-focused AIFs with well-defined structures,' explains Vinayak Magotra, founding team member at Centricity WealthTech.
According to Magotra, Category II AIFs now have better visibility and clarity, leading to increased confidence among both fund houses and investors.
'Currently, real estate represents around 5–6% of total AIF allocations. Additionally, REITs and InvITs are finding their way into HNI portfolios, offering similar benefits with better liquidity,' he adds.
Indeed, even the listed REIT space has seen over Rs 22,000 crore from HNI and retail investors, demonstrating that real estate is becoming an essential component in long-term portfolios—whether via AIFs or REITs, a report from Sundaram Alternates Assets highlighted.
Also Read:
How India's wealthy are reimagining real estate investments, says Karthik Athreya
The Bottom Line
Whether it's income stability, professional management, or exposure to India's booming commercial infrastructure, HNIs and UHNIs are increasingly using the AIF route to access real estate in a smarter, more structured manner.
AIFs provide access to commercial real estate opportunities that HNIs and UHNIs typically wouldn't be able to evaluate or manage independently—particularly in complex segments like structured credit and special situations.
Also read:
Mutual fund SIP inflows surge past Rs 27,000 crore for the first time in June
'The old model of buying an office or a shop and waiting it out is dying. Today's HNIs want scale, diversification, and cleaner execution,' Ramashrya Yadav, Founder & CEO, Integrow AMC, said.
'It's not about owning a floor in a tower anymore, but actually about being part of something bigger, with institutional controls,' he said.
While residential stories and overseas investments may still dominate cocktail party chatter, the real wealth-building is happening behind the scenes, where strategic capital is quietly flowing into Indian commercial real estate—one AIF at a time.
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