Fourteen tier-2 cities are rapidly emerging as strong warehousing markets, according to a recent research from JLL.
In their latest publication, 'India's Industrial Real Estate Evolution', the infrastructure consultant giant noted how the warehousing market demand extended beyond conventional tier-1 cities.
West: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly, Aurangabad), Indore, Nagpur, Nashik
South: Coimbatore, Kochi, Vishakhapatnam
North: Chandigarh-Rajpura, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ludhiana
East: Bhubhaneshwar-Cuttack, Guwahati, Patna
The above were the cities listed as "tier 2+". The report further noted, "India's warehousing stock has grown substantially, crossing 610 million sqft in 2025, demonstrating geographic diversification beyond its strongholds in the top 8 tier-1 Cities, with Emerging 14 tier 2+ cities playing an increasingly important role." The 14 locations alone accounted for 112 million square feet, of which 33 per cent were grade A, according to JLL.
Top among the emerging cities
Chandigarh-Rajpura led in overall stock of 15.4 million sqft, with Nagpur closely behind at 13.7 million sqft. Lucknow and Kochi were almost neck to neck at 10.9 and 10.6 million sqft, respectively.
While noting how tier-2 cities were catching up, JLL said that the Indian warehousing and logistics industry was on "the brink of a significant overhaul".
India is now aiming for 850 million sqft of warehousing stock by 2030. With the sector now spread to tier-2 locations, this target looks more and more feasible.