Mumbai Debuts On IWG 2026 Work From Anywhere Index With 77 Score, Only Indian City In Global Ranking

Mumbai, August 24, 2026: Mumbai has made its debut on the global 2026 Work From Anywhere Index, emerging as the only Indian city featured in the latest ranking of destinations suited to professionals combining work and travel.

The fourth edition of the index, released by IWG, gave Mumbai a total score of 77, placing it ahead of cities including London and Miami. The ranking evaluates cities on factors such as climate, broadband connectivity, accommodation, transport, culture, food and availability of flexible workspaces.

While Mumbai performed well on transport costs, flexible workplace availability, climate and accommodation, the city scored comparatively lower on broadband speed and quality, availability of local events and the happiness index.

The inclusion comes amid a growing shift towards work-from-anywhere arrangements, with hybrid working allowing employees to combine holidays with remote work without taking extended leave.

Mumbai's presence on the index also reflects the city's expanding flexible office infrastructure.

According to Cushman & Wakefield's Global Trends in Flexible Office 2025 report, India recorded the highest score of 100 on its flexible workspace maturity index, ahead of the UK, France and the US.

India was also identified as the largest flexible office market in the Asia-Pacific region, with 79.7 million sq ft of flexible workspace stock across the top eight cities as of Q2 2025, with the figure expected to cross 100 million sq ft in 2026.

Mumbai is among the country's major flexible workspace markets, alongside Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Pune and Hyderabad.

The availability of such workspaces is increasingly relevant for professionals who want to extend business or leisure trips while continuing to work.

Bangkok Tops Global Workcation Ranking

Mumbai's score of 77, however, puts it below the leading destinations in the global index.

Bangkok topped the 2026 ranking with a score of 106.5, followed by Tokyo at 96.5 and Barcelona at 95.5.

Porto and Vancouver completed the top five, while Budapest, Naples, Medellin, Lisbon and Seoul also featured in the top 10.

The ranking suggests that successful workcation destinations need to offer more than tourism appeal. Reliable connectivity, transport, accommodation and flexible workspaces are increasingly being combined with lifestyle factors such as food, culture and local experiences.

The IWG index comes alongside new research commissioned by the company among 2,000 hybrid office workers in the UK and US.

The survey found that 51% of workers said their employers already offer a work-from-anywhere policy.

The impact of such arrangements was largely positive, with 90% saying work-from-anywhere had improved their work-life balance and 80% reporting an improvement in productivity.

The flexibility is also influencing employment decisions. About 80% said a work-from-anywhere policy would make a new job more attractive, while 62% said they would consider changing jobs for a better policy.

The research also points to a growing trend of employees working remotely while travelling.

Nearly 48% of respondents said they plan to extend a holiday or mini-break by working remotely in 2026, while 46% said they were more likely to do so than they were last year.

The trend is already visible, with 43% saying they had worked remotely from a holiday destination without using annual leave.

Wellbeing emerged as the leading motivation, with 54% citing avoiding burnout and supporting wellbeing as a reason to extend trips. Another 53% wanted to spend more time with family and friends, while 52% wanted to make their annual leave go further.

The cost of living is also influencing the trend, with 51% saying financial pressures had made them more likely to use hybrid or work-from-anywhere policies to extend holidays.

Connectivity Remains Key Consideration

For professionals choosing a destination to work remotely, connectivity remains a major consideration.

Reliable Wi-Fi was identified as the most important factor by 38% of respondents, while 12% prioritised high-quality accommodation, food and transport.

Affordability is another consideration, with 46% saying cheaper travel and accommodation would encourage them to extend a trip through remote working.

At the same time, employees want clearer guidance from employers. About 44% said they would be encouraged to work remotely while travelling if they knew it would not affect how their work was perceived, while 39% cited clearer employer guidance as a motivating factor.

IWG Founder On Changing Work Patterns

Mark Dixon, Executive Chairman and Founder of IWG, said: “We’re seeing more workers than ever extending their trips to work remotely or choosing to spend longer periods abroad as digital nomads. Thanks to hybrid working and cloud technology, employees now have the freedom to work wherever and whenever suits them best – whether that’s a local flexible workspace or a co-working centre on the other side of the world. For many, the days of long daily commutes are over, and there is more freedom to work in new locations.”

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The findings indicate that Mumbai's combination of transport infrastructure, accommodation and expanding flexible workspace ecosystem could strengthen its appeal among professionals looking to combine business with leisure. However, improvements in digital connectivity and the wider workcation experience will remain important as competition among global destinations grows.

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