News: Nearly half of Asia Pacific occupiers see AI creating demand for new office formats, Colliers survey finds-15-10-2026
India and Southeast Asia form the most growth-oriented cluster in Asia Pacific (APAC), as occupiers focus on portfolio resilience, talent and future-ready facilities, according to a Colliers India survey report. It found that 47% of occupiers expect artificial intelligence (AI) to drive demand for multiple evolving office formats.
All respondents expect AI to create new specialised roles needing different skills and collaboration models, with the biggest impact on productivity and output. The report said this challenges the assumption that AI will cause widespread office contraction, since nearly half expect demand for different, more collaborative and tech-enabled spaces.
Across APAC, 82% of occupiers run office-centric models and 80% expect no meaningful change in workplace policies over the next 12 months. The 2027 Colliers Asia Pacific Workplace Insights draws on a survey of 313 corporate office occupiers in August 2026 across 11 markets, including India.
In the India and Southeast Asia cluster, 34% are still expanding despite sensitivity to geopolitical risks, and cost efficiency and skill availability lead location decisions. Occupiers there show a stronger appetite than regional peers for upgrading and reconfiguring offices.
Arpit Mehrotra, Managing Director, Office Services, Colliers India, said India remains a high-growth office market backed by a resilient economy, with the office seen as a strategic enabler. He noted that 21% of occupiers in the cluster prioritise upgrading to better space and the same share reconfiguring offices, and expects the flight to quality to matter more.
Across APAC, 75% cited occupancy costs as a major factor, yet 40% plan to renew leases and 29% to keep their footprint.
