Mumbai has entered the global workcation spotlight, becoming the only Indian city featured in IWG’s 2026 Work From Anywhere Index. The city scored 77 points, placing it ahead of major international destinations including London and Miami.
The fourth edition of the annual index highlights cities that offer a strong combination of remote-working infrastructure and travel appeal. Bangkok topped the global ranking with 106.5 points, followed by Tokyo with 96.5 and Barcelona with 95.5. Porto and Vancouver rounded out the top five.
Other cities in the top 10 included Budapest, Naples, Medellin, Lisbon and Seoul.
IWG assessed destinations across several factors that matter to professionals working remotely while travelling. These included climate, broadband quality and speed, accommodation, transport, food, culture and access to flexible workspaces.
Mumbai performed particularly well in transport affordability, coworking and flexible workspace availability, climate and accommodation. These factors helped the city secure a place among the world's leading workcation destinations.
However, Mumbai's overall score was pulled down by comparatively weaker performance in broadband speed and quality, availability of local events and happiness levels.
IWG said the city's inclusion reflects the continued development of India's remote-working ecosystem and Mumbai's growing appeal among professionals seeking to combine work with travel.
Mumbai's appearance on the index comes as India's flexible office sector continues to grow.
According to Cushman & Wakefield's Global Trends in Flexible Office 2025 report, India recorded a flexible workspace maturity score of 100, ahead of the UK at 98, France at 97 and the US at 81.
India was also identified as the largest flexible office market in the Asia-Pacific region, with 79.7 million square feet of flexible workspace across its top eight cities as of the second quarter of 2025. That figure is projected to surpass 100 million square feet in 2026.
The expansion of coworking and flexible offices is making it easier for professionals to work outside their usual locations without giving up access to business-ready facilities.
IWG's research also points to a growing shift in how employees view workplace flexibility. More than half of the workers surveyed—51%—said their employers already offer a Work From Anywhere policy.
Among those surveyed, 90% said working from anywhere had improved their work-life balance, while 80% reported better productivity. In addition, 62% said they would consider changing jobs for a stronger Work From Anywhere policy.
The trend is also influencing travel plans. Nearly half of respondents, or 48%, said they planned to extend a holiday or short break by working remotely in 2026. Meanwhile, 43% said they had already worked remotely from a holiday destination without taking annual leave.
The survey, however, was conducted among 2,000 hybrid office workers in the UK and US between July 6 and July 9, 2026. Its findings therefore should not be interpreted as representative of Indian employees.
Mumbai's debut in the IWG Work From Anywhere Index 2026 highlights the changing relationship between work and travel. For remote professionals, destinations are increasingly being judged not only by their tourist attractions but also by practical factors such as connectivity, accommodation, transport costs and access to professional workspaces.
While Mumbai still faces challenges around internet quality and some lifestyle indicators, its strong flexible-work infrastructure and relatively affordable transport position it as an increasingly viable option for workcation travellers.
The broader trend suggests that as hybrid work becomes more established, cities that can combine reliable workspaces, affordable living, connectivity and cultural experiences are likely to become increasingly attractive to location-flexible professionals.
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