I. From Concept to Market Reality: A Decade of Growth
India's Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) were conceived in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis as vehicles to channel long-term institutional capital into India's chronic infrastructure and real estate funding gaps. The regulatory architecture arrived in stages: SEBI issued the InvIT Regulations and the REIT Regulations in 2014, with the first REIT, Embassy Office Parks, listing on the National Stock Exchange only in April 2019, and the first InvIT, IRB InvIT, listing in May 2017.
The years since have seen the market deepen considerably. As of 2026, India has six listed REITs and around eight publicly listed InvITs spanning commercial and residential real estate, road, power transmission, gas pipeline, and renewable energy infrastructure. The combined assets under management (AUM) across the sector has crossed INR 10 lakh crore. SEBI has expanded the framework