Andhra Pradesh attracts flex office operators with subsidy

Rising demand for flex workspace is driven by pharma, global capability centres, and IT firms expanding in the state

- Madhurima Nandy

The touristy coastal city of Visakhapatnam, and the industrial hub of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh have not been obvious destinations for flexible office operators. But that is changing.

With the Andhra Pradesh government rolling out a red-carpet welcome in the form of land and rental subsidies to promote co-working, leading flex operators are looking to set up operations in the state.

Companies such as Awfis Space Solutions Ltd, IndiQube Spaces Ltd, International Workplace Group (IWG) and Hanto Workspace have opened their first centre, or are planning to launch in these cities this year, as they look to tap the demand from global capability centres (GCC) and pharmaceutical and technology firms as occupiers.

Awfis, the first such operator to get publicly listed last year, plans to open its first centre in the state this year.