Mumbai, long known for its Bollywood glitz, Marine drive charm and dream-city vibe, is now emerging as a destination for professionals looking to work from anywhere. The city has become the only Indian entry in IWG’s 2026 Work From Anywhere Index, scoring 77 and ranking ahead of global cities including London and Miami.Mumbai’s debut in the fourth edition of the annual index puts it among destinations assessed not just for their appeal to travellers, but also for how well they can double up as temporary offices. IWG’s index evaluates cities on factors including climate, broadband speed, accommodation, transport, food, culture and the availability of flexible workspaces.
Why is Mumbai on the list?
Mumbai scored well on transport costs, co-working and flexible workspace availability, climate and accommodation. However, its scores were relatively lower for broadband speed and quality, availability of local events and the happiness index.The city’s inclusion also comes against the backdrop of India’s expanding flexible workspace market. According to data from Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Trends in Flexible Office 2025 report, India scored 100 on the flexible workspace maturity index, ahead of the UK at 98, France at 97 and the US at 81.India was also the largest flexible office market in the Asia-Pacific region, with 79.7 million square feet of stock across its top eight cities as of the second quarter of 2025. The stock is expected to cross 100 million square feet in 2026, according to the release.
How work is changing travel plans
Mumbai’s place on the index comes as Work From Anywhere policies increasingly blur the line between working and travelling. Separate research commissioned by IWG found that 51 per cent of workers surveyed said their employer already offered a Work From Anywhere policy.“90% say WFA has improved their work-life balance, and 80% say it has improved productivity,” the release said. It added that 62 per cent of respondents would consider changing jobs for a better Work From Anywhere policy.The flexibility is also influencing holiday plans. Nearly half of the respondents, or 48 per cent, said they planned to extend a holiday or mini-break by working remotely in 2026. Another 46 per cent said they were more likely to do so than last year, while 43 per cent said they had already worked remotely from a holiday destination without using annual leave.However, the workplace survey covered 2,000 hybrid office workers in the UK and the US between July 6 and July 9, 2026. Its findings therefore do not specifically represent Indian workers.Bangkok topped the global list with a score of 106.5, followed by Tokyo at 96.5 and Barcelona at 95.5. Porto and Vancouver completed the top five.Budapest, Naples, Medellin, Lisbon and Seoul rounded out the top 10 Work From Anywhere destinations for 2026.
