Quick answer
Indian developers bought about 1,445 acres in 76 land deals between January and September 2026, according to Anarock Research (data released 11 November 2026). That is 56% less land and 23% fewer deals than the same period of 2025. About 25% of deals (19 of 76) were joint development agreements. Since 2022, Bengaluru is the third-largest land market after the Mumbai region and Delhi-NCR, and Hyderabad recorded one of the largest single deals, about 600 acres.
Published 11 November 2026 · Data: Anarock Research & Advisory
Developers across India bought much less land in the first nine months of 2026. According to Anarock Research data released on 11 November 2026, there were 76 land deals covering about 1,445 acres between January and September, against 99 deals and about 3,292 acres in the same period of 2025. That is about 23% fewer deals and 56% less land. One in four deals this year was a joint development agreement (JDA) rather than an outright purchase.
How much land did developers buy in 2026?
- Deals, January to September 2026: 76, down from 99
- Land: about 1,445 acres, down from about 3,292 acres
- Deals of 50 acres or more: 5 (about 588 acres), down from 12 (about 2,398 acres)
- Joint development agreements: 19 of the 76 deals, about 25%
Why are developers using joint development agreements?
In a JDA, the landowner contributes the land and the developer builds, and the two share the finished homes or the sales revenue. The developer does not have to pay for the land upfront. Anarock’s figures show the share of JDAs has been rising every year:
| Year | Land deals | JDAs | JDA share | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 83 | 10 | 12% | 2,509 |
| 2023 | 98 | 11 | 11% | 2,717 |
| 2024 | 133 | 23 | 17% | 2,515 |
| 2025 | 126 | 30 | 24% | 3,772 |
| Jan to Sep 2026 | 76 | 19 | 25% | 1,445 |
Mayank Saksena, MD and CEO of Land Services at Anarock, described the slowdown as a sign of a more cautious and selective approach, with developers increasingly signing JDAs with existing landowners.
Where do Bengaluru and Hyderabad stand?
Across 2022 to September 2026, Anarock tracked 516 deals covering about 12,958 acres. Bengaluru is the third-largest market by land acquired, after the Mumbai region and Delhi-NCR. The published figures for Bengaluru vary between about 1,540 and 1,680 acres depending on the table. Hyderabad accounts for about 995 acres, and one of the four largest single deals in the period, a 600-acre transaction, was in Hyderabad. The other large deals were 714 acres in Coimbatore and 500 and 440 acres in Ahmedabad.
The seven big metros (Mumbai region, NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata) made up about 86% of the deals but only about 57% of the land, because the largest parcels are increasingly in cities such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Coimbatore.
What does this mean for home buyers?
Most projects launching in the next two to three years are built on land bought in 2024 and 2025, so slower land buying now does not reduce near-term supply. Two points are worth keeping in mind:
- More projects will be JDAs. In a JDA project, check the RERA filing for the landowner’s share of units, and make sure the unit you book is in the developer’s share or that the landowner has signed the sale agreement.
- Title documents matter more. Ask for the registered JDA and the general power of attorney, and check that the RERA registration lists both the developer and the landowner as promoters.
We track RERA filings, land titles and launch pipelines for new projects in our Bengaluru and Hyderabad city guides.
Frequently asked questions
How much land did developers buy in India in 2026?
About 1,445 acres across 76 deals between January and September 2026, according to Anarock Research. This compares with about 3,292 acres across 99 deals in the same period of 2025.
What is a joint development agreement (JDA) in real estate?
A JDA is a deal in which a landowner contributes land and a developer builds the project, and the two share the finished units or the sales revenue. The developer does not pay for the land upfront.
What share of land deals in 2026 were JDAs?
About 25%, or 19 of the 76 deals from January to September 2026. The share has risen from 12% in 2022 to 24% in 2025.
Where does Bengaluru rank for land deals?
Bengaluru is the third-largest market by land acquired between 2022 and September 2026, after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Delhi-NCR, with roughly 1,540 to 1,680 acres according to Anarock.
How much land was bought in Hyderabad?
About 995 acres between 2022 and September 2026, including a single transaction of about 600 acres, one of the four largest deals Anarock tracked.
Does slower land buying mean fewer new projects?
Not in the short term. Most launches over the next two to three years use land bought in 2024 and 2025, when acquisitions were at a high.
Sources
- Business Standard: Land deals fall 56% in 2026; 1 in 4 now a joint development agreement (11 Nov 2026)
- The Realty Today: Land buying slows in 9M 2026, 25% of 76 land deals were JDAs (11 Nov 2026)
- Deccan Herald: Bengaluru holds third spot as developers lean on JDAs
BookNewProperty is an independent research site. This report summarises the sources above; figures are as published by them on the dates shown.
Vikas H S is the Project Reviewer at BookNewProperty. He reviews every project page against the developer and the state RERA portal, and writes the site's developer results and market news in plain language for first-time buyers.
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