By: Ar. Tripat Girdhar, Founder and Principal Architect of Arete Design Studio
“In terms of architecture and real estate, 2025 has been a year of recalibration. It is obvious that the emphasis now is on building better rather than quicker. Performance, longevity, and user well-being are becoming more important than short-term visual effects in residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. Architecture is now expected to work harder, adapt more intelligently, and age gracefully rather than just “look good.”
“Today’s real estate is influenced by both lifestyle goals and operational costs and climate realities. While end users are becoming more cognizant of sunshine, thermal comfort, and spatial quality, developers are more concerned with orientation, material efficiency, and maintenance cycles. This has prompted architects to participate earlier in the decision-making process, ensuring that the design objective is in line with practical limitations.”
“We at Arete Design Studio think this is a good change. Instead of serving as a finishing touch, it enables architecture to resume its function as a strategic tool. As 2026 approaches, there is a chance to design buildings that are ageless, resource-conscious, and context-responsive—structures that provide value for decades to come. The next phase of Indian real estate will be defined by thoughtful design combined with responsible development.”
By: Neal Thakker, Founder & CEO, Magma Group:
Indian manufacturing is entering a phase where sustainability and competitiveness are converging. We’re seeing customers ask for circular materials, waste-to-value solutions, and supply reliability — not as add-ons, but as core business expectations. This year, despite input-cost volatility, demand across industrial clusters remained resilient. At Magma, we focused on strengthening our network, improving reliability, and building advanced material capabilities through TerraMag and Magma Green.
Looking ahead to 2026, the outlook remains structurally strong. Infrastructure spending, Make-in-India, and technology adoption will support steady growth, even as price swings continue. The real opportunity lies in partnering with mid-sized factories that want world-class supply ecosystems without building them internally. Policy consistency, clearer recycling frameworks, and incentives for efficiency can accelerate responsible growth — ensuring India builds globally competitive manufacturing, without compromising sustainability.
By: Rajeev Kale – President & Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa – Thomas Cook (India) Limited –
“2025 was a defining year for Indian travel, marked by evolving Indian travel preferences. As highlighted in our Thomas Cook India Holiday Report 2025, there was a decisive shift among Indian travellers towards experiential holidays, immersive journey and phenomenon-based travel like the Northern Lights and Cherry Blossoms, event-led holidays, wellness retreats, and spiritual tourism. A notable trend was the rise in average spends, with Indians opting opting for multiple holidays through the year and longer stays—moving from traditional 3-day breaks to 6–12 day holidays. Visa-friendly policies and improved connectivity further fueled outbound travel to short-haul international destinations.
Looking ahead to 2026, event-based travel is emerging as a significant trend, fuelled by the enthusiasm of Young India’s millennials and GenZ for live concerts, global sporting events and cultural festivals. The demand for fully customizable holidays is on the rise, especially among discerning travellers who seek the flexibility to design trips that suit their personal pace, interests, and preferences. We are also seeing strong interest in unique accommodations and premium, experience-led travel—with travellers opting for leisurely exploration of a destination’s history, culture, cuisine, and hidden gems.Destinations offering easy visa access and visa-on-arrival options will continue to drive demand. The cruise segment, which saw rapid growth this year, is also expected to gain further popularity. At Thomas Cook India, we remain committed to staying ahead of these shifts—delivering high-value, memorable holidays tailored to the aspirations of today’s new‑age Indian traveller.”
By: SD Nandakumar, President & Country Head – Holidays & Corporate Tours, SOTC Travel Limited
“In 2025, India’s travel landscape was defined by strong traveller interest and a clear shift towards flexibility, shorter booking windows and experience-led holidays. As highlighted in our India Holiday Report 2025, travellers increasingly opted for immersive, curated and personalised experiences over traditional sightseeing. We also saw multiple travel motivations gaining traction simultaneously — leisure, celebrations, nature-based breaks, special-interest holidays and a strong resurgence in spiritual tourism. The year began with the Mahakumbh, which set the tone for a marked upswing in spiritual and pilgrimage-led travel across the country.
As we look ahead to 2026, experiential travel is set to deepen further, with consumers exploring a healthy blend of both favourites and emerging offbeat destinations. Travellers are seeking more value, convenience and customisation, alongside design-forward stays and technology-enabled experiences. Spiritual tourism, too, is expected to maintain strong momentum, supported by improved infrastructure, better connectivity and a growing desire for culturally meaningful journeys. With these shifts, India’s outbound and domestic travel segments are poised for continued, sustained growth in the year ahead.”
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