Real estate land deals in India declined to 76 transactions covering approximately 1,445 acres during the first nine months of 2026.
Developers recorded 99 deals spanning nearly 3,292 acres during the corresponding period last year, according to Anarock Research & Advisory.
The decline reflects a more selective approach to land acquisitions. Developers are increasingly assessing parcel size, location and project feasibility amid rising land costs.
Meanwhile, joint development agreements (JDAs) are gaining traction. At least 19 of the 76 transactions during 9M 2026 involved JDAs, accounting for 25% of total deals.
JDA transactions increased from 10 in 2022 to 30 in 2025. Their share of overall deals also rose from around 12% to nearly 24%.
Large land transactions decline
Transactions involving parcels of 50 acres or more fell to five during 9M 2026. Developers had recorded 12 such deals during the corresponding period of 2025.
The combined acreage of these transactions dropped to approximately 588 acres. It stood at around 2,398 acres in the year-ago period.
Between 2022 and 9M 2026, India recorded 516 land transactions spanning approximately 12,958 acres.
The highest number of deals occurred in 2024, with 133 transactions covering more than 2,515 acres. However, 2025 recorded the largest cumulative acreage, with 126 deals spanning approximately 3,772 acres.
Seven major markets account for most transactions
The seven established real estate markets accounted for approximately 86% of all transactions between 2022 and 9M 2026. These markets include Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), National Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata.
However, they accounted for only around 57% of the total acreage. This indicates that larger land parcels were increasingly acquired in tier-II and tier-III markets.
Anarock identified MMR, NCR and Bengaluru among the largest markets by cumulative land acquisitions. Ahmedabad and Hyderabad followed.
Ahmedabad recorded approximately 1,460 acres across just 14 transactions. A handful of large deals accounted for a substantial share of the city’s total acreage.
Smaller cities attract large land acquisitions
Of the 516 transactions recorded during the period, 61 involved parcels measuring at least 50 acres. These deals accounted for approximately 63% of the total acreage transacted.
Nearly half of these large transactions, or 29 deals, took place outside the seven established metropolitan markets.
Gujarat emerged as a major destination for large land acquisitions. Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara together accounted for approximately 2,020 acres.
Additionally, Coimbatore recorded around 770 acres. Amritsar, Nagpur, Panipat and Ludhiana also registered significant cumulative acreage despite relatively few transactions.
The largest individual deals included a 714-acre transaction in Coimbatore and a 600-acre deal in Hyderabad. Ahmedabad recorded two other major transactions covering 500 acres and 440 acres, respectively.
