PM Modi’s Flexible Work Push May Redefine Homebuyer Preferences Across India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal encouraging work-from-home, virtual meetings and reduced travel has once again brought attention to changing urban lifestyles and how people want to live and work going forward. While the broader focus of the appeal was on fuel conservation and economic efficiency amid global uncertainty, it could further strengthen residential demand trends already evident across India over the last few years.

According to ANAROCK, housing sales across the top seven cities, including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata, rose 7 per cent year-on-year in Q1 2026 to over 1.01 lakh units. The rise in housing sales indicates continued resilience in residential demand despite global uncertainty. With an increase in demand for premium and branded projects in metros and other important cities, we have also been witnessing a clear shift in buyer preferences.

The renewed focus on work-from-home could further accelerate some of the trends that have been shaping the residential market over the past few years, especially the demand for larger homes, integrated developments and projects that support a more balanced lifestyle. As people continue spending more time at home, developers expect stronger demand for larger and better-planned residences within organised developments offering open spaces, retail and social infrastructure.

Commenting on the changing homebuyer preferences, Kirthi Chilukuri, Founder & Managing Director, Stonecraft Group, says, “A wider adoption of hybrid and work-from-home models is likely to further influence how people choose their homes and communities. Homebuyers today are increasingly looking for larger living spaces, wellness-oriented environments, better community infrastructure and developments that can comfortably support both living and working needs. This evolution is also expected to further accelerate demand in the residential housing segment, particularly for integrated communities that offer a more balanced and future-ready lifestyle.”

He further added, “In a city like Hyderabad, which continues to witness strong growth driven by the IT and technology ecosystem, this shift could further strengthen demand for integrated and nature-focused residential communities offering connectivity, quality of life and flexibility for evolving work cultures.”

Flexible work patterns are expected to strengthen demand for residential environments that can support both professional and personal routines within the same ecosystem.

Ashish Jerath, President - Sales & Marketing at Smartworld Developers, says, “Since COVID, we have seen customers prioritising a workspace within their homes, and we believe this call from PM Modi is reinforcing that trend. As developers, we have already incorporated this into our design philosophy, and all our homes come with a dedicated work-from-home area integrated into the design. Our customers appreciate these small but meaningful touches that make practical sense.”

Industry experts also believe the shift could further strengthen demand in emerging residential markets, offering more space and improved quality of living.

Vivek Singhal, CEO & Co-founder, Multigen India, says, “Any push towards work-from-home is likely to further influence the way people choose and experience their homes. Over the last few years, homebuyers have increasingly prioritised larger living spaces, dedicated work areas, better community infrastructure and wellness-driven environments that support a hybrid lifestyle. This shift could further strengthen demand for integrated residential developments that offer a balanced live-work ecosystem. In cities like Bengaluru, where a large part of the housing demand is driven by the technology and startup ecosystem, this evolution could further accelerate the preference for well-connected residential communities that combine accessibility, lifestyle and flexibility for a work-from-home culture.”

Santosh Agarwal, Executive Director & CFO, Alpha Corp Development Limited, says, "The recent appeal by our Prime Minister for revisiting work-from-home practices is once again paving the way for a trend that first gained momentum during the pandemic: the growing preference for integrated and lifestyle-oriented residential living. We have already seen the trend of people moving towards integrated living spaces – work from home has been one of the major catalysts of this change. Housing buyers now focus on aspects such as larger homes with separate workspaces, proximity to greenery, wellness infrastructure and self-contained communities that can support hybrid work models and a comfortable lifestyle."

"I believe this will once again boost demand for integrated projects that offer ample liveability at suburban and edge-city locations. Builders now have an opportunity to step up their game from just providing residencies to creating future-ready communities that promote an active lifestyle with premium community-centric infrastructure and plug-and-play amenities,” he adds.

Sam Chopra, President and Country Head, eXp Realty India, says that working professionals and first-time buyers are increasingly prioritising space, community infrastructure and long-term quality of living while making home purchase decisions.

“We are also likely to see stronger traction in emerging residential corridors where buyers can access more space, organised developments and a better overall lifestyle environment. Homebuying today is increasingly being driven by long-term liveability and evolving lifestyle needs,” he adds.

While the long-term impact of the Prime Minister’s appeal will become clearer over the coming months, developers believe it has once again brought focus back to how urban India wants to live. For the housing sector, the conversation is increasingly moving beyond location alone towards larger homes, organised ecosystems and residential environments that can support both work and everyday life within the same setting.

FAQs

1. How is WFH altering the requirements of buyers?

Space to work from home has become one of the top priorities for home buyers. Besides asking for larger homes with WFH spaces, they are looking for better community infrastructure and wellness living to facilitate hybrid living.

2. Which cities can benefit from this new culture?

Hybrid workplace culture will fuel demand for integrated communities across India’s IT and startup centres, such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

3. Are buyers looking more for townships or plotted developments?

Home buyers are showing interest in planned townships that offer them access to amenity-rich spaces such as open areas, retail amenities, social infrastructure and much more, which allows them to live where they want to, and work conveniently.