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Top 9 Trends Shaping Mobility and Corporate Accommodation in India

Written by AltoVita Team | Feb 12, 2026 7:03:21 AM

India is rapidly emerging as a global hub for corporate travel, accommodation, and workforce mobility. With a projected GDP of $7.3 trillion by 2030, India is set to surpass Japan as the second-largest economy in the APAC region, driven by industries including IT, healthcare, banking, electronics, chemicals, and automotive. This economic growth is translating into rising demand for corporate housing, extended-stay accommodation, and flexible mobility solutions, particularly in major metros and emerging tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

In January 2026, AltoVita hosted an India-focused roundtable in Bengaluru, bringing together leaders from global mobility, corporate travel, and hospitality to explore how corporate accommodation is evolving in and out of India. Here are the key insights shaping the corporate housing landscape today and over the next five years.

Trend #1: Redefining Value in Corporate Accommodation

Accommodation is no longer viewed purely as a cost line item. It is increasingly recognised as a strategic lever that impacts employee experience and productivity, particularly for extended stays and project-based mobility programmes.

Trend #2: The Cultural Blind Spot

A recurring blind spot in global accommodation programmes is cultural alignment. For Indian outbound assignees, this often means access to vegetarian food options, family-friendly units, and kitchens for home cooking. Inbound mobility into India presents its own nuances; for example, Japanese assignees often prioritise privacy, strong community environments, language support, high cleanliness standards, quiet residential settings, and familiar cuisine.

Trend #3: India’s Urban Talent Flywheel

Driven by rapid urbanisation, deepening talent pools, and the rise of advanced Global Capability Centres (GCCs), organisations are relocating not just work, but leadership, ownership, and decision-making into India. What started as cost-led offshoring has evolved into strategic relocation, with global firms moving leadership, engineering, AI, and finance roles to major metropolitan and emerging tier-2 cities.

Trend #4: India’s Expanding Mobility Landscape

Rising outbound mobility to the Middle East, APAC, and Europe, alongside a near-term slowdown to the US due to H-1B immigration changes, is increasing demand for scalable, policy-aligned housing solutions across markets. While volumes to the US have not yet dropped materially, moderation is expected through 2026 as conditions gradually ease.

Trend #5: The Biggest Gap in the Market

A critical gap identified is the shortage of consistent economy inventory in India, particularly 3-star serviced apartments and hotels capable of supporting large-scale corporate demand.

Trend #6: Smarter Cost Management, Not Just Lower Rates

Rather than chasing the lowest price, attendees discussed the importance of intelligent cost control, combining visibility, standardisation, and data-driven decisions to achieve sustainable savings without compromising quality or compliance. For high-volume mobility programmes, negotiated capped or consortia rates remain important. The growing number of blackout dates makes flexibility essential, particularly for extended stays.

Trend #7: The Growing Role of Technology

Technology emerged as a critical enabler across the accommodation lifecycle, from sourcing and approvals to reporting and traveller experience. There was strong alignment on the need for platforms that offer transparency, automation, and actionable insights for corporates and their partners.

Trend #8: Community is the New Currency in Mobility

A growing trend in global mobility is the shift from accommodation as a standalone benefit to accommodation as a community-building platform. Assignees increasingly value being placed alongside others on similar assignments, where shared experiences, informal networks, and peer support reduce isolation and improve satisfaction.

Trend #9: Collaboration Across the Ecosystem

The future of corporate accommodation increasingly relies on strong collaboration across the entire mobility and hospitality ecosystem. Corporates, relocation management companies (RMCs), and accommodation partners that work together through trusted relationships, shared data, and consistent service standards are best positioned to meet growing and complex demand while ensuring a seamless experience for employees.

Best Practices for Corporate Accommodation Programmes in India

Based on the roundtable discussions, here’s what companies can do to future-proof their corporate accommodation strategy in India:

  1. Align housing decisions with employee experience: Reframe accommodation strategy by linking choices to customer satisfaction scores, incident ratios, and Preferred Partner performance.

  2. Focus on cultural alignment: Ensure operators are trained on cultural specificities and leverage a consolidated network of verified partners that can consistently meet culturally driven requirements across markets.

  3. Scale beyond metro hubs: Design programmes that extend to tier-1 and tier-2 cities by partnering with service providers offering pre-vetted properties and local market expertise, ensuring consistent quality.

  4. Adopt flexible frameworks: Implement globally consistent accommodation frameworks that can adapt across regions to maintain policy control and employee experience.

  5. Close supply gaps: Prioritise new supply development and build relationships with trusted local brands delivering quality, compliance, and value at competitive rates.

  6. Shift to data-led cost strategies: Move beyond rate-led sourcing to strategies that account for volume, flexibility, and extended-stay needs, particularly for high-volume programmes.

  7. Invest in integrated technology: Use platforms that centralise sourcing, approvals, reporting, and guest experience to reduce manual effort and improve programme oversight.

  8. Foster community: Use serviced accommodations designed for shared experiences, workspaces, social events, and wellness activities to build engagement, connection, and belonging.

  9. Collaborate across the ecosystem: Ensure strong partnerships between corporates, RMCs, and accommodation providers, supported by shared data, trust, and consistent service standards.

How AltoVita Can Help You Manage Corporate Accommodation in India

Here’s how AltoVita, the award-winning platform streamlining corporate accommodation management, can support your corporate housing programme in India.

Global Inventory with Local Reach

We offer over 500,000 pre-vetted properties in India, including hotels, aparthotels, serviced apartments, and co-living solutions across metro, tier-2, and tier-3 cities.

Every property in our global network undergoes a rigorous four-tier quality control process, ensuring corporate quality standards, safety and security. With Breezeway verification now completed for select hospitality partners in India, we add an independent layer of inspection and validation, further strengthening policy compliance and duty of care.

In addition, we enable organisations to create a curated inventory of preferred properties, ensuring employees select trusted, pre-approved options aligned with your programme standards.

Strategic Cost Optimisation and Tax Efficiency

Leveraging our global purchasing power and strong relationships with local hospitality partners, we negotiate competitive rates, tailored inclusions, and value-added features, delivering measurable cost savings without compromising guest experience.

AltoVita operates through a fully incorporated entity in India, with active GST registrations across eight key states. This enables local billing and unlocks up to 18% cost savings through tax efficiencies when invoicing locally. For organisations expanding into new regions, we also offer the flexibility to establish additional GST registrations within a 45–60 day lead time, ensuring continued compliance and operational agility.

Local Expertise with On-the-Ground Support

Our dedicated India team provides hands-on support across site visits, booking management, operational guidance, and guest assistance in local languages, ensuring a seamless experience for your employees.

With deep knowledge of regional customs, market dynamics, and regulatory requirements, our local experts enable clear communication and smoother programme execution. This on-the-ground presence helps clients and partners navigate the Indian market confidently while maintaining the high service standards they expect globally.

Proven Experience Supporting Global Clients

We have a strong track record of collaborating seamlessly across the ecosystem, working closely with RMCs, TMCs, and corporate clients. From emergency relocations to intern group moves for world-leading organisations, we have successfully managed programmes of varying scale and complexity with precision and agility. Our expertise ensures full compliance and a smooth execution, ultimately delivering a high-quality guest experience that supports employee wellbeing, satisfaction, and productivity across every assignment.

Streamlined Bookings and Reporting on One Platform

With AltoVita, there’s no need to manage fragmented systems or juggle multiple tools and providers. Our platform centralises the entire corporate accommodation journey, from booking requests to reporting and guest feedback. Using a blend of AI and human expertise, we optimise every step of the process while curating the highest-quality accommodation options for a smooth and enjoyable guest experience.

Key Takeaway

The consensus is clear: the future of corporate accommodation in and out of India will be defined by experience-led programmes, robust technology, and ecosystem-wide collaboration. Organisations that invest in these areas will be best positioned to scale efficiently, control costs, and support employees effectively.

Contact us to explore tailored price estimates, market forecasts, or how your organisation can future-proof its corporate accommodation strategy in India and beyond.