What an office fit-out really costs in Mumbai & Pune
A transparent, line-item breakdown of Category-B office interior costs — the real ₹ per sq ft for occupier fit-outs, what drives the number up or down, and why Pune typically lands 10–15% below Mumbai.
The honest answer to “cost per sq ft”
Almost every search for office interior cost ends in frustration, because most fit-out firms refuse to publish a number — or they quote a headline rate so low it has no relationship to what you will actually pay. We take the opposite position. Below is a fully sourced view of what a commercial office fit-out costs in Mumbai and Pune in 2026, what sits inside that number, and how to read a quote without getting caught out.
One term to fix before we start: Category-B (CAT-B) fit-out. This is the occupier fit-out — everything that turns a bare or warm-shell floor into a working office: partitions, ceilings, flooring, HVAC distribution, electrical, lighting, fire and life safety, AV/IT cabling, joinery, furniture and finishes. It does not include the developer’s base building (Category-A: core, facade, lifts, primary services). When people ask “cost per sq ft for office interiors,” they almost always mean CAT-B. Every figure on this page is CAT-B unless stated otherwise.
Mumbai vs Pune — the real numbers
The most reliable all-in benchmarks come from the major international cost guides (Cushman & Wakefield and JLL, 2024–2026 editions), which survey completed corporate fit-outs across Indian cities. These are professional, all-in CAT-B rates — they bundle construction, MEP/HVAC, AV/IT, loose furniture (FF&E), design fees and project management into a single ₹ per sq ft. That is why they sit higher than a bare contractor rate, and they are the right number to budget against for a corporate-grade office.
| City | All-in CAT-B benchmark (₹/sq ft) | Relative to India avg | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai | ₹6,567 | Highest in India | Premium real estate, labour and logistics; the most expensive metro to fit out. |
| Pune | ₹5,847 | Among the lowest of major metros | Roughly 10–15% cheaper than Mumbai for comparable spec. |
| India average | ₹5,788 | Baseline | Blended across major office markets. |
Source: industry cost guides (Cushman & Wakefield, JLL) 2024–2026. Figures are indicative all-in CAT-B averages for corporate-grade fit-outs and will vary with spec, scope and site.
The takeaway: a corporate office in Mumbai budgets around ₹6,500–6,600/sq ft all-in; the same brief in Pune lands closer to ₹5,800/sq ft. On a 20,000 sq ft floor, that 10–15% gap is roughly ₹1.4–1.5 crore of difference — a real factor when occupiers compare the two cities for expansion.
₹2,000 or ₹6,500? Both are “true”
If you have also seen turnkey contractors quote ₹1,500–2,500/sq ft, you are not being lied to — you are looking at a different scope. Here is how the domestic turnkey contractor market is usually tiered:
| Tier | Indicative rate (₹/sq ft) | Typical scope |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | ~₹2,000 | Functional fit-out: standard partitions, basic ceiling and flooring, essential electrical and a modest furniture allowance. |
| Mid | ~₹3,000 | Better finishes, more meeting rooms, improved lighting and AV provisions, decent furniture. |
| High-end | ₹4,000+ | Premium materials, bespoke joinery, heavy AV/IT, branded environments and sustainability features. |
So why is the professional benchmark almost double the contractor rate? Because the two numbers cover different things. The contractor figure is narrow — it is largely civil, ceiling, flooring, basic electrical and furniture. The professional all-in figure is comprehensive — it additionally carries full MEP and HVAC distribution, AV and IT/ELV systems, the complete FF&E package, design fees, project management and contingency. When you compare quotes, the single most important question is not “what’s your rate?” but “what’s inside it?” A ₹2,000 rate that excludes HVAC, AV, furniture and PM is not cheaper — it is incomplete, and the gaps reappear as variations later.
What moves the number up or down
Two offices of identical area can land ₹2,000/sq ft apart. These are the levers that explain the spread — understand them and you can steer your own budget:
City. Mumbai carries a premium on real estate, skilled labour and material logistics; Pune is structurally cheaper. Location alone accounts for the 10–15% gap.
Spec level (basic / mid / premium). The single biggest controllable variable. Finishes, joinery quality and brand-grade detailing can move the rate by ₹1,500–2,500/sq ft on their own.
Density & meeting-room ratio. More enclosed rooms, phone booths and collaboration zones mean more partitions, more doors, more HVAC zoning and more AV points — all of which raise the per-sq-ft rate. Open, lower-density layouts cost less to build.
MEP / HVAC intensity. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing — and air-conditioning in particular — is typically the largest single cost head in a CAT-B fit-out. High occupant density, server rooms or extensive supplementary cooling push it up sharply.
AV / IT load. Video-conference rooms, digital signage, structured cabling and network infrastructure add up fast in collaboration-heavy workplaces.
Certification. Targeting IGBC, LEED or WELL adds cost — better materials, commissioning, air quality and documentation — though it pays back in running cost and occupant wellbeing.
Programme pressure. Compressed timelines mean overtime, multiple shifts and premium procurement. A realistic programme is one of the cheapest ways to protect your budget.
Site constraints. Building access hours, service-lift availability, working-hour restrictions and the condition of the base build (bare shell vs warm shell) all affect labour productivity and therefore cost.
A CAT-B fit-out, head by head
This is what a transparent bill of quantities (BOQ) actually contains. We share BOQs in this format so you can see exactly where your money goes — and so you can compare like for like across firms. The shares below are typical proportions, not fixed rules; they shift with spec and density.
| BOQ head | What it covers | Typical share of cost |
|---|---|---|
| Civil & partitions | Demolition, blockwork, glazed and drywall partitions, doors. | 10–15% |
| Ceiling | False ceilings, bulkheads, acoustic and exposed-services treatments. | 5–8% |
| Flooring | Carpet, vinyl, tile, raised access flooring and skirting. | 6–10% |
| MEP / HVAC | Air-conditioning, ventilation, plumbing — usually the largest head. | 20–30% |
| Electrical & lighting | Power distribution, light fittings, controls, DBs and small power. | 10–15% |
| Fire & life safety | Sprinklers, detection, alarms, signage and suppression. | 4–7% |
| AV / IT / ELV | Structured cabling, networking, video conferencing, signage, access control. | 6–12% |
| Joinery | Bespoke storage, reception desks, pantry units, built-in carpentry. | 6–10% |
| Loose furniture (FF&E) | Workstations, chairs, meeting and breakout furniture. | 10–18% |
| Finishes | Paint, wall treatments, glass films, signage and branding. | 4–8% |
| Design fees | Concept, detailed design, drawings and coordination. | 3–8% |
| Project management | Programme, procurement, site supervision, QA and handover. | 3–6% |
| Contingency | Provision for unknowns and late client changes. | 5–10% |
Read any quote against this list. If a head is missing — no contingency, no PM fee, no FF&E line — the number is not lower, it is just hiding cost that will land on you later as a variation.
Why a number on a page isn’t a quote
Everything above is a benchmark, and benchmarks are ranges. The actual cost of your office depends on your floor plate, the condition of the base build, your headcount and density, the spec you choose and your programme. A ₹5,800–6,600/sq ft band is the right place to start a budget conversation — but a defensible, fixed price needs a site visit and a measured BOQ. Anyone who commits to a final all-in rate before seeing your floor is either padding it heavily for risk or planning to claw it back through variations.
That is exactly how Vektor Spaces works. We give you a transparent, line-item BOQ against the heads above, and we deliver on a fixed-price design-build basis — one accountable team for design and construction, one number, no surprise variations. You see what every rupee buys before you commit.
Get a real number for your office
Tell us your city, your floor area and roughly how you want to work. We’ll come back with an honest budget band, walk your site, and turn it into a fixed-price, line-item proposal you can actually plan around — in Mumbai or Pune.