India: Corporate Housing Hotspot of APAC - An Update from Devi Vibin

Increasing Demand in India: The Global Center for Service Solutions

India’s economy is among the fastest growing in the world, so it's no surprise Dwellworks Living's short-term housing bookings in the world's most populous country are growing, on pace with a 228% increase in 2022 vs. 2021. With growth in nearly every commercial sector, from automobile manufacturing to retail, to e-commerce innovation, India is also known for its world-leading competency in IT, business process outsourcing, and digital skills readiness. 

Extended business travel and short-term assignments for training, knowledge transfer, project management, and building cross-organizational competency are commonplace needs for both India-headquartered companies and MNCs. Typical deployments, within India and from overseas, require housing for 30-180 days to meet the needs of new hires and trainees, mid-level managers, and senior executives.

Responding to the needs of a diverse roster of clients, whose needs often come up on short notice, is the role of our extraordinary in-country supply chain. Devi Vibin, our Singapore-based Dwellworks Living Supply Chain Manager for APAC, recently visited key markets in India to learn first-hand about the variety and availability of corporate housing and to reaffirm the shared commitment to excellence between Dwellworks Living and our in-country partners. Her enthusiastic notes follow.

Experiencing India First-Hand

My itinerary spanned four key cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore). Altogether, I had the pleasure of meeting more than 60 partners and their properties, representing the thousands of units available to Dwellworks Living guests in India. These housing and hospitality professionals cater to three distinct categories of employees: expatriates, including high-ranking executives and VIPs; returning Indians accompanied by their families; and interns or individuals relocating to or on assignment within different cities across India.

Over the past three years, our capabilities in India have expanded significantly, enabling us to offer our clients temporary housing solutions tailored to their specific needs. Moreover, our extensive network of local partners and experts possess accurate tax registrations across five Indian states, ensuring our billing capability and compliance with tax regulations throughout the country.

Allow me to share my impressions of each city:

Delhi – The Unforgettable Capital City

The city effortlessly combines modernity, technological advancement, rich history, and a mystical aura. As the political capital of the country, Delhi has attracted a business presence for most Fortune 1000s as well as India’s leading companies.

Mumbai – India’s Money Metropolis

Mumbai, often referred to as the financial capital of India, exudes cosmopolitan vibes like no other. This bustling city represents the diversity and dynamism of the country. Fin-tech startups as well as the best-known names in global banking are all part of Mumbai’s commercial culture. 

Hyderabad - The "Second Capital"

Hyderabad boasts impeccable urban planning, wide, clean roads, impressive infrastructure, and a plethora of emerging high-rise buildings and construction projects, which explains the calls within India to designate the city as the ‘second capital’ of the country. Once the hub of the precious gem trade, Hyderabad is equal parts manufacturing, knowledge industry, and tourist destination.

Bengaluru – India’s Silicon Valley

Bengaluru is known as the Silicon Valley of India and emanates an infectious energy. It is a city proud of its non-stop work culture. Exciting as it is to visit, the city is also notorious for its traffic and congestion. Local experts thread the streets and provide an essential guide to daily life.

Dwellworks Living’s Strategy in India

Dwellworks Living offers access to thousands of premier-quality housing units in India. As a company with expertise both in temporary housing and destination services, we’re especially qualified to leverage relationships with local landlords and find unique, ‘off-market’ solutions for specialized client requests, while having access to all the key housing stock in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and more.

Clients with booking requests for intra-India moves are often interested in training, internships, and short-term stays; while relocation customers typically look for temporary, furnished corporate housing as they transition to longer-term leases for their stay in the country. Like so many aspects of the Indian economy, the corporate housing and hospitality sector is growing fast and diversifying. 

Here are five key takeaways as shared by our local experts

1. Safety and security are always top of mind, particularly when relocating to a new country. Delivering duty of care by guaranteeing the safety and security of the guests is the first requirement Dwellworks supply chain management impresses on our in-country partners.

2. Supply and demand don't always match up. Meaning, the availability of apartments does not align with the demand, making it a challenge to find and secure the right options unless you are deeply familiar with the market.

3. Following local laws and regulations must be top of mind. It is essential to provide excellent service while maintaining a documented record of compliance and business processes, particularly in India where the regulatory landscape can be intricate.

4. Understand all the requirements. Clients need full-market knowledge to establish both appropriate budgets and share guest expectations with their employees. As a service partner, Dwellworks Living is transparent about options across India that will still align guest needs, client specifications, and budget terms in every booking and service experience.

5. Short commutes are key. Given that India is the world’s most populous country, traffic during peak office hours in major cities can be extremely problematic. Well-located short-term housing is key to a liveable commute and proximity to the employee’s workplace is a typical expectation.

Let Dwellworks Living Show You the Way

Contact Dwellworks Living. We support the short-term housing needs of leading banks, energy companies, technology innovators, consumer products companies, and hundreds of other employers. Let us put our unique in-market expertise to work for you.

To see our properties across the globe, click here.

To connect with Devi, click here.

Dwellworks Living: Global Solutions for Corporate Accommodations 

Dwellworks Living is committed to providing our clients and their employees with the best possible corporate housing and serviced accommodations experience. With a global network of property partners, a tri-regional team of customer experience and supply chain professionals, and a wide range of services for global mobility and travel customers, Dwellworks Living can provide the perfect corporate housing solution for any need or budget.

Dwellworks Living is the global corporate housing solution of Dwellworks, an award-winning, business-to-business provider of global mobility and business travel services. As a global leader in corporate housing and serviced accommodations solutions, Dwellworks Living is uniquely positioned to meet the temporary living needs of businesses and their employees who are relocating or traveling on short-, medium- or extended-stays. With 60,000 high-quality professionally managed properties in over 125 countries worldwide, Dwellworks Living is the preferred housing solutions partner of many Fortune 1000 and leading relocation management companies.

Dwellworks Living's corporate housing and serviced accommodations solutions are designed to help businesses attract and retain top talent, support employee productivity, and ensure a smooth and successful relocation or business travel experience. In addition to our core global accommodations management services, Dwellworks Living, through our worldwide network of local experts, is uniquely capable of offering our clients expanded and related services, such as area orientations, group move assistance, destination services and intercultural training.

Whether you have corporate housing needs for an individual employee or a large team, Dwellworks Living can provide the serviced accommodations solutions you need anywhere in the world to ensure a safe and successful stay. Please contact us to learn more or visit our Properties page to begin your search for global corporate housing accommodations.