Home › Articles › Bengaluru › Two Indian Startups Transform Flexible Office Spaces
Two Indian Startups Transform Flexible Office Spaces
By PropertyGeld Editorial Team
Published on PropertyGeld:
A New Approach to India's Flexible Office Market
India's co-working industry was expanding rapidly, but a significant portion of commercial office space remained unused while waiting for large corporate tenants.
This created a gap in the market. A building could have an entire floor available, but smaller companies, startups or freelancers might need only a part of that space.
Two Indian startups, WorkTNC and Breathing Room, were attempting to solve this problem by creating a more flexible way to use vacant and underutilised office spaces.
WorkTNC Connects Businesses With Available Office Space
WorkTNC was founded in Mumbai by Kunal Modi, Sandeep Bali and Nikunj Karia.
The company focused on providing flexible office and co-working options by making available commercial spaces accessible to businesses that did not require a traditional long-term office lease.
At the time, WorkTNC had options across several Indian cities, including:
Mumbai
Gurugram
Noida
Hyderabad
Kolkata
Pune
Chennai
New Delhi
Navi Mumbai
Chandigarh
The startup reportedly became profitable within around 50 days of starting operations.
Breathing Room Focuses on Underused Office Areas
Breathing Room was founded by Kaushal Sanghavi and Mahernosh Bathena.
Instead of concentrating only on conventional co-working desks, the company focused on making existing office facilities available for short-term requirements.
Its offerings included:
Meeting rooms
Training rooms
Boardrooms
Work desks
Other temporary office facilities
The company operated in cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad.
A key part of its business model was helping office owners earn additional income from spaces that were not being used regularly.
Turning Empty Commercial Space Into Revenue
Traditional office leasing generally requires businesses to sign longer agreements and occupy larger spaces.
The flexible model offered another option.
Instead of leaving an unused meeting room, office floor or workspace vacant, property owners could make it available to companies for shorter periods.
This could provide:
For property owners:
Additional rental income from unused space.
For startups and freelancers:
Access to professional workplaces without committing to a large long-term office lease.
For businesses:
Meeting and training facilities when required.
Co-working Industry Was Growing
The growth of India's startup ecosystem was creating greater demand for flexible working arrangements.
Startups often preferred flexible office solutions because they could expand or reduce their workspace according to business requirements.
Freelancers and smaller businesses also benefited because they could access professional office facilities without taking on the cost of maintaining a traditional office.
The flexible office segment in India was already estimated at around 13 million sq ft at the time and was expected to grow rapidly.
Why Flexible Offices Were Becoming Popular
Several factors were supporting the growth of shared and flexible workplaces:
Growth of startups
Increasing number of freelancers
Rising commercial property costs
Demand for shorter commitments
Expansion of small businesses
Need for meeting and training facilities
Better utilisation of existing office buildings
This changing workplace culture created opportunities for companies that could connect available commercial space with businesses looking for temporary or flexible facilities.
A New Revenue Opportunity for Property Owners
The model was not limited to startups.
Large offices often have meeting rooms, conference rooms or sections of their premises that remain unused for considerable periods.
Rather than allowing these spaces to generate no income, platforms such as WorkTNC and Breathing Room aimed to help owners monetise them.
This approach could potentially increase the efficiency of commercial real estate by making better use of existing buildings.
Future of Flexible Office Spaces
The growth of flexible workplaces indicated a broader change in how businesses viewed office space.
Companies were becoming more comfortable with shared facilities and short-term workspace arrangements.
For property owners, this created an additional revenue channel, while for businesses it offered flexibility and potentially lower operating costs.
Conclusion
WorkTNC and Breathing Room represented an emerging business model in India's commercial real estate sector in 2018.
Rather than building new offices from scratch, these startups focused on connecting businesses with vacant or underused commercial spaces.
The concept addressed two needs at the same time: helping property owners earn from unused space and giving startups, freelancers and businesses access to flexible workplaces.
The article is not focused on one city. It covers the broader Indian flexible-office market, with Mumbai playing an important role because both startups had operations there.
Explore
Related topics
Articles about Bengaluru · Articles about Faridabad · Articles about Goa · Articles about Gurugram · Articles about Mumbai