Commercial real estate consultancy firm CBRE has announced the establishment of its first Indian global Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) centre of excellence (CoE) in Hyderabad, as part of its initiative to overhaul global enterprise workflows. According to reports from Business Standard, this move represents a significant shift in the firm's operational strategy, with India anchoring the core of the CoE alongside a Dallas team as CBRE targets automation of 30 critical enterprise workflows over the next nine to 12 months. The centre will focus on automation across procurement, finance and lease abstraction for the next 9 to 12 months, with the Agentic CoE, co-anchored between India and Dallas, Texas, having already taken several processes live in production.
The initiative comes as CBRE seeks to shift its India operations up the value chain, from execution to frontend product and technology innovation. As reported by Business Standard, India currently houses over 40 per cent of CBRE's global technology and operations team, positioning the country as a key hub for the firm's technological advancement. The move represents a strategic evolution in how the company approaches its Indian operations, focusing on higher-value technological capabilities rather than traditional execution services. This transformation aligns with the broader trend of companies increasingly looking beyond established gateway cities, with CBRE reporting a record 82.6 million sq. ft. of office leasing in 2025, with demand expected to extend further into tier-II markets.
According to sources cited by Business Standard, the Agentic CoE, co-anchored between India and Dallas, Texas, has already taken several processes live in production. Anuj Kadyan, Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at CBRE, emphasized the firm's commitment to agentic-led process reimagination, highlighting the significant role Agentic AI will play in evolving knowledge worker processes. The dual-location approach leverages India's talent pool while maintaining strategic partnerships with the firm's US operations, with the core of the Agentic CoE held in India, combined with the team in Richardson, Dallas.
Anshuman Magazine, chairman and CEO for India, South East Asia, Middle East and Africa at CBRE, stated that India is now becoming home to frontend work, with talent driving the firm's global technology initiatives. As reported by Business Standard, this strategic evolution reflects the growing demand for flexible workspace solutions, with businesses increasingly opting for ready-to-use, flexible spaces rather than large conventional offices. The trend is particularly evident in emerging markets like the Northeast, where companies are establishing regional teams and project operations quickly while scaling capacity in line with business needs.
