Kolkata Real Estate Sector Faces Skills Challenge

India’s real estate industry is seeking a larger place in economic policymaking as its market expands and construction activity supports millions of jobs. The issue took centre stage at CREDAI-NATCON 2026 in Kolkata, where the sector’s leadership called for formal recognition while highlighting delays, workforce gaps and infrastructure constraints that continue to affect urban development.

The push comes as India’s real estate market moves towards a projected $1 trillion by 2030, from about $600 billion in 2025, according to a CREDAI-Anarock assessment released during the convention. The scale of that expansion makes the real estate sector increasingly important to housing, employment, construction materials, finance, transport and urban services. However, a larger economic role also raises questions about how growth is managed. Housing projects depend on more than private construction. Planning approvals, occupation certificates, electricity, water, roads and drainage must arrive in step with development. Delays in these systems can affect completion schedules and, ultimately, homebuyers waiting for possession. The discussion therefore points to a wider governance problem rather than a developer-only issue. Faster approvals may improve project delivery, but urban expansion also needs stronger coordination between planning authorities, utilities and local governments. Without that alignment, rapid construction can place additional pressure on already stretched civic infrastructure.

Workforce development emerged as another concern. Construction remains labour-intensive, while demand is growing for electricians, carpenters, masons and other specialised trades. Industry representatives argued that India’s challenge is less about the absolute number of workers and more about formal training, certification and reliable career pathways. That gap has consequences beyond construction companies. Skilled workers can improve building quality, safety and maintenance, while recognised qualifications can help workers negotiate better wages and more stable employment. For cities, a stronger construction workforce could also support the delivery of increasingly complex housing and infrastructure projects.

The sector’s projected expansion also coincides with a changing housing market. Recent industry data shows residential development dominating the value of real estate under construction, while higher-value housing has gained a larger share of new supply. This makes the policy debate particularly relevant to affordability, as rising market value does not automatically translate into homes accessible to a wider section of urban households. The next phase of the real estate sector will therefore depend not only on capital and land, but on whether public infrastructure, skills and housing policy keep pace. As India targets a much larger property economy, the quality and inclusiveness of that growth will matter as much as its headline value.

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Kolkata Real Estate Sector Faces Skills Challenge