India‘s banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector is entering a pivotal phase of growth. With the sector’s Gross Value Added (GVA) projected to reach $288 billion by 2030, digital payments expanding at record pace and policy reforms attracting global investments, infrastructure has become central to sustaining this momentum.These themes were explored during an exclusive roundtable hosted by The Economic Times in association with JLL India, bringing together senior decision-makers responsible for procurement, corporate real estate, facilities and workplace strategy across India’s leading financial institutions. The roundtable was moderated by Vipul Gupta – Executive Director Head – Management Contracting , PDS India.The discussion brought together Rajendra Poojary, Head – Procurement, L&T Finance; Vijay Bhave, Group Head – Facilities and Channel Management, L&T Finance; Nirav Dalal, Senior Vice-President – Product Lead, Yes Bank; Anand Hariharan, Director and Head of Procurement, BNP Paribas; Vitthal Kudtarkar, Head – Procurement and Administration, DCB Bank; Ramesh Ghag, Head – Security, DCB Bank; Ripple Boruwa, Senior Vice President & Portfolio Director – Corporate Real Estate Lead, Bank of America; Lavesh Goyal, Head – Corporate Real Estate, Infina Finance Private Limited (Kotak Group); Santosh Sankaradasan, Executive Vice President (CXO), SBI Capital Markets; Prasad Shetty, DVP – Real Estate, HDFC; and Srinivas Reddy, Head – Projects & Facilities (Pan India), ICICI Prudential Life Insurance. Their collective expertise reflected the growing strategic role of workplace infrastructure in enabling business growth, resilience and innovation across the BFSI sector.
Expanding with resilience
The roundtable discussion began by examining the changing office market, where BFSI leasing has increased from 10 per cent to 15.8 per cent of total office absorption, with nearly 84 per cent of demand driven by foreign institutions.
Responding to the question on balancing aggressive expansion with operational resilience across distributed geographies, participants agreed that growth is no longer measured solely by the amount of office space occupied.
Instead, institutions are adopting geographically diversified portfolios that strengthen business continuity while improving access to talent. Rather than concentrating operations in a single city, organisations are increasingly expanding across multiple markets to create flexible operating models capable of responding to evolving business needs.
Participants also noted that flexibility has become a defining criterion for real estate decisions. Financial institutions are prioritising high-quality assets that can accommodate hybrid work, evolving regulatory requirements and mission-critical operations without compromising security or efficiency.
Matching physical infrastructure with digital leadership
India’s digital financial ecosystem continues to set global benchmarks. With UPI processing 7,662 transactions every second and facilitating transactions worth $326 billion, participants reflected on whether physical infrastructure is keeping pace with digital transformation.
The consensus was that world-class digital platforms require equally robust physical infrastructure.
Intelligent office buildings, resilient utilities, high-speed connectivity and technology-enabled workplaces are becoming strategic investments that support uninterrupted operations.
Leaders observed that modern financial workplaces are evolving beyond traditional office environments.
Today’s facilities are expected to support advanced collaboration, cybersecurity, hybrid work models and business continuity while enabling innovation. As customer interactions become increasingly digital, physical workplaces are transforming into operational hubs that strengthen organisational resilience.
ESG becomes integral to investment
Sustainability emerged as another defining theme. With the BFSI sector expected to contribute $288 billion in GVA by 2030, participants agreed that ESG considerations are now integral to real estate investment strategies.
Energy-efficient buildings, green certifications and smart building technologies are increasingly influencing leasing and investment decisions. Participants highlighted that sustainable assets improve operational efficiency, optimise lifecycle costs and support employee wellbeing while helping organisations meet environmental commitments.
The discussion also highlighted growing expectations from investors, global stakeholders and regulators, making ESG a strategic business imperative rather than a compliance exercise.
Regulatory reforms driving portfolio decisions
The roundtable also examined how policy reforms are reshaping corporate real estate strategies.
Participants discussed the increase in the GCC tax threshold from ₹300 crore to ₹2,000 crore, 100 per cent foreign direct investment in insurance, and the emergence of GIFT City as a global financial hub.These developments are encouraging organisations to reassess location strategies while creating new opportunities for investment and expansion. Global capability centres continue to drive demand for Grade A office space, while international financial institutions are evaluating India’s evolving regulatory landscape with greater confidence.
Participants agreed that regulatory stability, infrastructure readiness, talent availability and scalability are increasingly determining long-term investment decisions.
Infrastructure as a competitive advantage
One of the strongest themes to emerge was the changing role of corporate real estate within financial institutions. Procurement, facilities and workplace leaders are no longer viewed as operational support functions but as strategic partners driving resilience, employee experience and long-term business performance.
The discussion concluded that India’s BFSI growth story will be shaped not only by financial innovation but also by the quality of the infrastructure supporting it. As digital finance accelerates, sustainability expectations rise and regulatory reforms reshape investment priorities, organisations are increasingly viewing real estate as a strategic asset capable of enabling scale, innovation and trust.
The Economic Times–JLL roundtable underscored that building tomorrow’s financial hubs requires investments that integrate technology, sustainability and operational resilience. By creating future-ready workplaces, India’s BFSI sector is laying the foundation for sustained growth through 2030 while strengthening its position as one of the world’s most dynamic financial ecosystems.
(The author is Executive Director Head – Management Contracting, PDS India)
