India’s nationwide initiative to digitise land records by December is expected to deliver a major boost to foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country’s real estate sector.
The reform aims to resolve long-standing challenges around land acquisition, improve transparency, and enhance investor confidence; outcomes that industry leaders say will bring India closer to international standards.
Times of India reported progress is already well advanced. Government data shows that out of all available land records, 372.12 million, or 99.8%, have now been digitised.
In addition, 97.3% of cadastral maps have been converted into digital format, while 89.7% of revenue courts and all sub-registrar offices nationwide are computerised.
Industry experts believe these reforms will be transformative. Anshuman Magazine, chairman and CEO for India, the Middle East and Africa at CBRE, described digitisation as “not optional anymore – it’s a necessity.”
He noted that while some states are further ahead than others, India has “no choice but to digitise land wherever possible” if it is to unlock large-scale foreign investment and support sustainable growth.
The lack of clear ownership titles has traditionally hampered property acquisition for developers, particularly in sectors such as offices, logistics, warehousing, townships, and data centres.
“In most cases, except where government authorities are directly selling or leasing land, titles are disputed, ownership is unclear, or mutation is absent — making the process costly, time-consuming and prone to litigation,” said Gagan Randev, executive director of India Sotheby’s International Realty.
Digital records are expected to eliminate much of this uncertainty.
Recent figures support this optimism. Cushman & Wakefield reported that institutional investment in Indian real estate hit ₹17,530 crore (USD $2.05 billion / AUD $3.15 billion) in the June quarter, a 67% increase quarter-on-quarter.
For the first half of 2025, institutional investment totalled USD $3.3 billion (AUD $5.07 billion), compared to USD $7.1 billion (AUD $10.92 billion) across all of 2024.
Foreign investors made up the majority, contributing 68% of total inflows in the June quarter, while domestic investors accounted for 32%.
The residential sector led with 24% of inflows, followed by office (22%) and retail (19%).
Geographically, Mumbai dominated with 42% of investments, while Kolkata and Delhi-NCR drew 19% and 16% respectively.
Alternative investment funds also began deploying capital raised in 2024.
Ashish Sharma, assistant vice president of operations at Brahma Group, said the digitisation drive is set to significantly boost FDI inflows: “Global investors place high value on regulatory clarity and ease of transactions.”
