According to research by Data Insights Market, the Indian real estate sector has grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of approximately 25.6% between 2020 and 2025, expanding from $330 billion in 2020 to an estimated $482 billion in 2024, and projected to surpass $1.04 trillion by 2029. During the same period, the sector’s contribution to India’s GDP has nearly doubled, rising from 7% to around 13%, highlighting its growing economic significance.
Amidst this backdrop of rapid industry expansion, Century Real Estate has emerged as one of Bengaluru’s fastest-growing developers, achieving a remarkable 9X growth over the past five years. This growth has been the result of intentional choices -bold investments, strategic shifts, and a deep-rooted commitment to building an organisation that is not only growth-ready but future-focused.
This transformation began with an inward focus. During the COVID-19 crisis, as uncertainty gripped the economy, and many other developers & companies resorted to salary cuts, Century took a decisive approach rooted in long-term thinking, by prioritizing employee well-being, assuring them of stability through transparent communication and proactive well-being measures. This was more than a short-term response to a crisis; it brought to the fore a very unique cultural strength of the company. Trust became a strategic foundation, enabling Century to build organisational resilience and cohesion that would prove critical for the growth journey that lay ahead. When markets rebounded post the 2nd wave, a charged-up organisation was ready to take its company to never-before heights. During the FY21 Annual Townhall that happened online amidst COVID, an audacious goal was announced, to a resounding response from happy associates glued to their laptops at home.
Empowering customers with tech — Century’s data-led engine fuels every customer interaction
With the foundation of trust in place, Century pivoted to build long-term capability. At a time when the organisation operated at a modest annual sale of approx. ₹200 crore, it made a forward-looking decision to significantly strengthen its talent pool. Senior professionals were onboarded across key verticals - product, marketing, sales, strategy and CRM - many from renowned institutions, with experience in top corporations. The company invested in top-of-the-line IT systems - Salesforce, Asana, Mindtickle & a new ERP. World-class systems, data-driven decision-making, and a sharpened focus on customer experience became the cornerstones of a scalable, professional, and responsive organisation that was hungry for growth. By investing ahead of scale, Century built a strong internal engine capable of sustaining accelerated, yet disciplined, growth.
Central to Century’s success has been its strategy to discard a cookie-cutter approach to development. Each project is treated as a distinct opportunity, tailored to the local context, target audience, and long-term value potential. Each project is designed based on insights from extensive market research of that micro-market.
From plotted developments that tapped into post-pandemic preferences for land ownership, to large-format residential projects and integrated townships that address the evolving needs of urban living, Century delivered stellar product launches & grew 2X every 2 years.
A flagship example of this strategy is Century One World, a 135-acre mixed-use township underway in North Bengaluru. Designed as a self-sustained urban ecosystem, the project brings together residential enclaves, commercial spaces, retail hubs, hospitality, and educational infrastructure, setting a new benchmark for integrated living.
Century’s investment in high-growth micro-markets such as North Bengaluru, backed by infrastructure upgrades, airport proximity, and strong commercial momentum, demonstrates the organisation’s ability to read market shifts early and commit with clarity. This localisation strategy, supported by execution excellence, has enabled Century to consistently outperform benchmarks while reinforcing its brand positioning. Historically too, Century has played a significant role in shaping the growth of Bengaluru - first towards the south - Bannerghatta road & beyond in the early 1990s & 2000s, and then towards the east - Whitefield & Sarjapura Road in the subsequent decade, before turning to the future in the North.
As Century scaled operationally, equal focus was placed on nurturing an internal culture that could sustain performance. A values-driven environment, built on meritocracy, ownership, and collaboration, has been actively embedded across teams and functions. Dedicated People-Culture & Learning Academy teams were created to nurture the associate talent in the company.
Built on values, driven by people — Century’s culture of ownership and collaboration powers its journey as a Great Place to Work
The impact is very visible. Century has been recognised as a Great Place to Work for three consecutive years and received numerous Employee Experience Awards for its industry-leading employee engagement, structured leadership development, and strong alignment across the organisation. Culture, in this case, is not a byproduct of growth—it is a deliberate enabler of it.
Centurions celebrate a shared vision of building future-ready, human-centric communities in the heart of Bengaluru’s growth story.
With a land bank exceeding 3,000 acres and a development pipeline of over 20 million sq.ft., Century is now poised for the next phase of growth. But scale, in and of itself, is not the goal. The focus is on building thoughtfully, integrating sustainability, design innovation, and long-term urban value into every project. In a city like Bengaluru, where infrastructure, livability, and economic opportunity are evolving in tandem, Century aims to develop communities that are not only future-ready but also deeply human-centric. ‘Centurions’ - as all associates of the company call themselves- are building this organisation of excellence, in the fastest growing city in the world - Bengaluru.
The pages slugged ‘Brand Connect’ are equivalent to advertisements and are not written and produced by Forbes India journalists.
First Published: Oct 04, 2025, 11:27
Subscribe Now