Delhi-NCR’s real estate market is going through a phase that comes once in a decade, sometimes even less often. Prices are rising sharply, demand is broad-based, and the drivers this time are not speculative but structural. According to Anarock, luxury housing prices in NCR jumped a staggering 72% between 2022 and 2025, the highest among India’s major cities. Mid-range and premium housing grew by 54%, while even the affordable segment saw a strong 48% rise. Taken together, these numbers point to one clear conclusion: NCR has become the country’s most aggressive real estate growth market.
But this is not just a story of numbers going up. It reflects a deeper change in buyer behaviour. Investors and end-users are steadily moving away from crowded, saturated neighbourhoods where prices have already peaked. Instead, attention is shifting to emerging corridors shaped by new roads, metro lines, expressways and airport-linked infrastructure. In simple terms, people are following connectivity, because that is where the next phase of value is being created.
What makes 2026 especially important is timing. NCR is entering a peak infrastructure delivery phase. Several expressways are nearing completion, metro networks are expanding deeper into suburbs, and airport-led connectivity is reshaping daily commute patterns. Historically, this kind of infrastructure cycle has acted as a powerful trigger for real estate appreciation. The ecosystem arrives first, and value follows.
Among all emerging corridors, the Dwarka Expressway has clearly emerged as the breakout star. Once seen as a long-term bet, it has now turned into one of NCR’s most sought-after residential destinations. According to Square Yards, property prices along the corridor jumped 3.5 times between 2020 and 2025, translating into an annual growth rate of nearly 28%. That kind of appreciation is rare, even in a rising market.
The reason is straightforward. The expressway offers connectivity that genuinely changes everyday life. Direct access to IGI Airport, Gurugram’s business districts and NH-8 has made it especially attractive for luxury and upper mid-income buyers. As premium retail, hospitality and office clusters begin to take shape, the corridor is also developing a lifestyle ecosystem, not just residential towers. With supply remaining limited at the top end, demand continues to stay firm.
If Dwarka Expressway is about rapid residential appreciation, the Noida–Greater Noida Expressway tells a slightly different story, focused on balance and stability. The corridor has benefited from steady metro expansion and upcoming multi-modal connectivity projects. This improved access has made it equally appealing to residents and businesses.
Over the years, the area has seen a growing concentration of Grade-A office spaces, drawing multinational companies, global capability centres and fintech firms. This has created a strong tenant base, supporting healthy rentals and long-term capital growth. With large projects like Film City, Media City and institutional hubs on the way, the corridor is fast evolving into a self-sustained ecosystem rather than a pure commuter belt.
Industry voices echo this sentiment. Sanjay Sharma, Director, SKA Group, says the shift is clearly visible on the ground, with better roads, faster metro access and the growing influence of the upcoming Noida International Airport. He also points to Wave City in Ghaziabad as a future-focused bet, where liveability and long-term value are coming together.
Gurugram’s New Gurgaon is another micro-market entering a decisive phase. According to Ashok Singh Jaunapuriya, MD & CEO, SS Group, the area is witnessing dual momentum. Corporate occupiers, co-working players and retail brands are moving in, while families are choosing it for connectivity, planned layouts and improving social infrastructure. This combination is pushing the market into a new growth orbit, with strong ROI potential in 2026.
Further east, the Yamuna Expressway represents a longer-term opportunity. Anchored by the Noida International Airport, the entire belt is being reshaped under YEIDA’s expansive master plan. Logistics hubs, industrial zones, tourism clusters, data centres and even a sports city are part of the vision. According to MagicBricks data, property rates near the Jewar airport have already risen from Rs 4,564 per sq ft in 2023 to Rs 8,923 per sq ft in 2025.
Developers believe this is just the beginning. Vishal Sabharwal, Head Sales, Orris Group, describes the Yamuna Expressway as a once-in-a-generation moment, where infrastructure scale and lifestyle aspirations converge. Early demand is already emerging for plotted developments, curated townships and low-rise luxury formats.
Summing up the shift, Paras Rai, Co-Founder & MD, Property Master, says investors need to drop the old lens through which NCR was viewed. Today, value is being created along infrastructure corridors, not in overbuilt pockets. Roads, rail and airports are the new anchors of growth.
As NCR heads into 2026, the message is clear. Each corridor offers a different ROI story, from fast residential appreciation to stable commercial yields and long-term land value creation. But together, they mark where NCR’s next chapter of wealth creation is unfolding.
