Walmart Expands in Chennai After Bengaluru, Hyderabad & Pune; Leases Huge Office Space

Walmart, the global retail giant, is undergoing its technology expansion in India. After setting up a massive office in Bengaluru, the company is now looking forward to its second Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Chennai. To make this happen, Walmart's tech arm has leased a whopping 465,000 square feet of office space in Chennai.

Walmart Leases 465,447 Sq Ft at International Tech Park Chennai (ITPC)

Walmart's tech subsidiary, WM Global Technology Services India Pvt Ltd, has signed a lease agreement with Radial IT Park Pvt Ltd for a five-floor workspace at Block 1 of International Tech Park Chennai (ITPC).

As per the ET report, leasing details included the total space of 465,447 square feet. The lease tenure is 60 months (5 years), which begins from January 1, 2025. The monthly rent for the space is about Rs 3.26 crore (Rs 70 per square foot per month), and the company has already paid a security deposit of Rs 19.55 crore.
Earlier, Walmart leased 900,000 square feet in Bengaluru in the second half of 2024.

Why Did Walmart Choose Chennai?

As per experts, Chennai has become a hot destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) since the city is home to highly skilled tech professionals. Also, if compared to other metro cities, Chennai offers lower costs for businesses, due to which many global giants already operate from Chennai. The new Walmart GCC in Chennai will have space for 4,500 employees and focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, Data Engineering, and Cybersecurity.

Walmart Joins Global Giants in Expanding in India

Walmart is part of a larger trend where top multinational companies are setting up tech & innovation centres in India. Some recent examples as listed by ET in its report include:

• McDonald's is setting up a GCC in Hyderabad, creating 2,000 jobs.
• Marriott International: Opening its first GCC in India with 300 employees.
• Texas Instruments: Leasing 550,000 sq ft in Bengaluru.
• Walmart: Eyeing another 587,000 sq ft office in Bengaluru.

A recent report by CBRE has shed light on the rising influence of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) on India's commercial real estate. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, GCCs accounted for a massive 45% of all office space leasing across the country. Bengaluru emerged as the top destination, taking up 40% of this demand, followed by Delhi-NCR at 24%, Chennai at 14%, and Hyderabad at 10%. Mumbai and Pune contributed 6% and 5%, respectively. In total, India absorbed 18 million square feet of office space during this period-marking a 66% year-on-year growth in leasing activity driven primarily by GCCs.