From Infrastructure to Experience: The Evolution of IT Spaces
By Sanchit Bhutani, Managing Director, Group 108
For years the evolution of commercial office spaces mirrors a broader change in how businesses understand the relationship between their workplace and their performance. While location, floor space and reliable infrastructure remain fundamental to any commercial development, the expectations surrounding an office have expanded to include the quality of the environment it creates for the people who use it. This change is particularly relevant to Grade A office spaces, where the ability to combine operational efficiency with thoughtful design and accessibility increasingly shapes how a development is perceived and valued.
Reflecting this shift, India’s office market is seeing demand increasingly influenced by the needs of organisations establishing sophisticated operations across the country. JLL recorded 21.5 million square feet of gross office leasing in India in the first quarter of 2026, up 10.2% year on year, while GCCs accounted for 45.5% of leasing activity. As these centres undertake more specialised functions for global businesses, the environments in which they operate must support demanding technical requirements alongside the everyday needs of their workforce, bringing the quality and performance of commercial buildings into sharper focus.
At the foundation, reliable infrastructure remains central to the proposition offered by a Grade A office, since uninterrupted power, high-speed connectivity, effective security and well-integrated building systems allow businesses to function with consistency. Their value becomes particularly apparent when these systems operate seamlessly alongside the building’s design and services, creating an environment in which employees can concentrate on their work without unnecessary disruption. With this foundation established, the way a building is planned and experienced becomes an equally important consideration in determining its usefulness to occupiers.
In practice, a thoughtfully designed workplace translates operational reliability into an environment that supports the rhythms of a working day with efficient floor plates, natural light, intuitive circulation and well-planned common areas influencing how people move, interact and work. Importantly, these features derive their value from the way they complement one another, allowing a building to accommodate different activities while maintaining a coherent sense of space and functionality. The experience created within the office, however, is also shaped by factors beyond its walls, since the convenience of reaching the workplace influences how effectively employees can engage with it every day.
Moreover, according to CBRE’s India Office Occupier Survey 2026 found that 70% of occupiers prioritised commute infrastructure when selecting office locations. Beyond the building, accessibility, therefore, remains an important consideration in how businesses evaluate commercial properties and their surrounding locations.
As expectations of the workplace evolve, maintaining the quality of the occupier experience becomes as important as establishing it during development. With the use of energy efficiency coupled with advanced building systems, and proper maintenance, Grade A offices will be able to uphold their standards while evolving to meet changing occupier demands. This ensures that the initial vision of the developer of the building is carried out as part of the functioning of the building.
Ultimately, the transformation of IT spaces lies in bringing these considerations together through a considered approach to commercial real estate. Dependable infrastructure provides the operational foundation and thoughtful planning shapes the workplace experience. Further connectivity places the development within the wider business ecosystem. Their combined value emerges when each element strengthens the others, allowing a commercial building to serve the practical requirements of its occupiers while creating an environment suited to the way businesses and people work today. As India’s office market matures, this integration will play an increasingly important role in defining the relevance and enduring value of Grade A office developments.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author, and not necessarily of Realtynmore.com.
