F&B-led growth set to reshape India’s retail real estate playbook

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India’s organised retail property stock is expected to surge from 89 million sq ft to 145 million sq ft by 2030, according to a new JLL report. The biggest driver? Food and beverage brands, which now account for over 40% of leasing in top malls — a dramatic shift from their pre-pandemic footprint.

For marketers, this signals more than just a real estate trend. It reflects how physical spaces are being redefined as immersive brand stages. As F&B anchors more mall footfall, other categories — from beauty and electronics to lifestyle — are repositioning around experience, dwell time, and share-of-wallet.

The JLL study notes that over 35 new malls are under construction across major cities, with additional expansion in tier-2 markets like Lucknow, Coimbatore, and Jaipur. Notably, modern formats prioritising dining zones, open-air sections, and event spaces are driving developer strategy.

For brands, this is an invitation to rethink offline presence — not just in terms of square footage, but in terms of storytelling. Retail-as-experience is back in focus: tasting zones, in-store content, and cross-category events are becoming powerful marketing levers. Leasing teams are increasingly working in tandem with brand teams to activate spaces with campaigns, pop-ups, and digital integrations.

While digital continues to dominate performance marketing budgets, this shift in retail real estate offers brands a renewed opportunity to build physical memory structures — especially in categories where trial, trust, and experience drive conversion.

In the post-pandemic attention economy, space is no longer just about presence—it’s about persuasion.