Bengaluru Real Estate: Flats, Villas and Houses in India's Tech Capital

Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is India's software and start-up centre. Whitefield and Sarjapur Road sit east near large tech parks, Electronic City is south, and North Bengaluru around Hebbal and Yelahanka is growing near the airport. Indiranagar, Koramangala and HSR Layout are central, popular with young professionals, while Jayanagar and Malleshwaram are older family neighbourhoods. Outlying areas like Devanahalli offer plots and villas.

The Namma Metro serves parts of the city, but road congestion is notorious, so commute time often matters more than price per square metre. The mild climate is a major attraction: warm, rarely extreme. Kempegowda International Airport is about 35 km north of the centre.

Other markets worth comparing are Hyderabad, Pune, Gurgaon, Navi Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata.

NRIs and OCIs may buy residential and commercial property but not agricultural land; Karnataka has its own rules on agricultural land that have been relaxed in recent years but remain complicated. Foreign nationals not of Indian origin who live abroad generally cannot buy.

• RERA. Verify the project on K-RERA.
• Khata. Bengaluru properties need the correct A-khata for municipal tax and bank lending. B-khata plots can face loan restrictions.
• Stamp duty. Karnataka stamp duty plus registration is a significant cost; verify the current percentage.
• Lake and drainage zones. Floods in low-lying areas have affected some buildings.

See the India consultation guide, the financing guide and the India overview.

Bengaluru's rental demand is among the strongest in India because of tech employment, though remote work has shifted some preferences. Tenants often favour furnished flats in gated communities close to metro or office parks. Landlords should register rental agreements and expect a security deposit of several months' rent. Returns are usually modest as a percentage of price, so most buyers rely on capital growth. When you sell, capital gains tax applies and, for NRIs, tax is deducted at source, so plan for working capital. Keep the original sale deed, khata certificate and tax receipts organised, because buyers' banks will ask for them.

Ask about water: many outer areas rely on borewells and tankers. Check the commute at rush hour before buying, and review the homebuyer's guide for under-construction projects. Compare the carpet area with the quoted size. Run numbers on the mortgage calculator using the current interest-rate environment and expected rent.