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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Algorithmic Anarchy

The NEET paper leak protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar should have remained a legitimate expression of student anger over the collapse of examination integrity. Instead, as the agitation escalated into clashes with the police, abusive sloganeering and an increasingly radical political campaign, Meta’s algorithms emerged as an invisible force multiplying the unrest. The controversy surrounding the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to the youth in the aftermath of the...

Algorithmic Anarchy

The NEET paper leak protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar should have remained a legitimate expression of student anger over the collapse of examination integrity. Instead, as the agitation escalated into clashes with the police, abusive sloganeering and an increasingly radical political campaign, Meta’s algorithms emerged as an invisible force multiplying the unrest. The controversy surrounding the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to the youth in the aftermath of the protests only reinforces that concern. Meta has attributed the takedown to a “technical glitch” and apologised. But when the world’s largest social media platform can temporarily suppress the message of the elected leader of the world’s largest democracy during a politically charged moments, the issue extends well beyond a single deleted post. Who decides what India sees? That question has become impossible to ignore during the Cockroach Janta Party’s protests. Across Instagram and Facebook, users have reported being inundated with CJP videos, reels and protest clips despite never following the organisation or engaging with similar political content. Whether this resulted from coordinated paid collaborations, recommendation algorithms or both deserves a thorough investigation. But the larger democratic concern is that public opinion is increasingly being mediated not by citizens, journalists or elected representatives, but by opaque algorithms designed in Silicon Valley and optimised for engagement rather than democratic responsibility. Meta’s recommendation engine is not a passive notice board. Every piece of political content that reaches millions has first been selected by an algorithm whose workings remain largely hidden from public scrutiny. This is hardly unique to India. Around the world, Meta has repeatedly been accused of amplifying polarisation, misinformation and political extremism because outrage keeps users engaged. From elections to ethnic conflicts and episodes of civil unrest, the company has faced persistent criticism that its commercial incentives reward divisive content over balanced discourse. Democracies cannot afford to outsource the architecture of public debate to corporations whose primary obligation is to shareholders rather than constitutional values. While citizens are entitled to challenge governments and demand accountability, there is an important distinction between a movement that expands because people are persuaded and one that appears to be algorithmically amplified into omnipresence. Equally disturbing has been the normalisation of abusive political language during the protests. When such content is repeatedly amplified through recommendation systems, platforms cease to be neutral intermediaries and become active participants in degrading democratic discourse. Platforms that influence elections, protests and public opinion must explain how political recommendations are generated and why particular narratives receive extraordinary amplification. Silicon Valley companies insist they are merely technology platforms. But their algorithms increasingly exercise editorial power. When software determines which protests dominate national conversations and whose voices disappear, technology has already become politics.

Strength, resilience in a volatile world

Mumbai: India is set to enter 2026 as one of the most resilient and opportunity-rich real estate markets in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Knight Frank’s Asia-Pacific Outlook 2026. At a time when global economic uncertainty, shifting trade policies and geopolitical volatility are forcing markets to recalibrate, India stands out for its robust domestic fundamentals, deep talent pool and a steadily maturing real estate ecosystem.


While Asia-Pacific’s overall economic growth is expected to moderate in 2026, the report highlights India’s relative insulation from global headwinds. Strong internal consumption, policy stability and sustained corporate expansion continue to underpin demand across office and logistics segments, positioning the country as a strategic growth hub rather than a cyclical recovery story.


Office Market

India enters 2026 with one of the strongest office market outlooks in the region. GCC-led expansion, continued technology sector hiring and access to skilled talent enabled the country to record among the highest leasing volumes in Asia-Pacific during 2025. Gross office leasing is expected to cross 80 million sq ft, marking a historic peak.


Bengaluru, Mumbai and the National Capital Region remain the standout performers, with rental growth projected in the range of 7.5–9% year-on-year in 2026. India also crossed a significant structural milestone in 2025, with Grade A-led office stock surpassing one billion sq ft across the top eight cities, reinforcing its scale and institutional depth.


Shishir Baijal, International Partner, Chairman and Managing Director of Knight Frank India, said India’s affordability, regulatory stability and maturing workplace ecosystem continue to enhance its appeal compared to other global hubs. He noted that occupier sentiment remains resilient, supported by a comparatively strong domestic business environment.


A defining theme for 2026 will be the growing emphasis on retrofitting and asset repositioning. Early-2000s office buildings are increasingly facing functional obsolescence, prompting landlords to invest in HVAC upgrades, improved natural light, workplace experience technologies and ESG-led enhancements. Occupiers, the report notes, are now willing to pay a premium for performance, sustainability and employee well-being rather than for space alone.


Flexibility is also expected to gain further importance. In an environment marked by cautious capital deployment and global trade uncertainty, enterprises are prioritising shorter leases, expansion-ready floors, managed office formats and hybrid-fit solutions. India’s cost competitiveness, with rentals in several major markets still below USD 1 per sq ft per month, strengthens its position as a consolidation hub for multinational firms.


However, the divide between high-quality, future-ready assets and older stock is set to widen. As Grade A space now accounts for more than half of total supply and vacancies tighten, occupiers are consolidating into ESG-aligned, digitally enabled campuses. Assets that fail to undergo substantive upgrades risk being priced out of consideration.


India Vs Asia-Pacific

India’s relative strength becomes more pronounced when viewed against conditions in other Asia-Pacific markets. Greater China continues to grapple with elevated vacancies and rental pressure, while Singapore and parts of Southeast Asia are experiencing rental moderation amid cost controls and a substantial development pipeline. Australia’s office markets remain tenant-favourable due to high occupancy costs and cautious corporate expansion.


In contrast, India benefits from limited oversupply in core hubs, steady rental growth and sustained absorption of Grade A space, resulting in a healthier supply-demand balance.


Logistics & Industrial

India also remains the standout performer in logistics and industrial real estate. While rental growth across much of Asia-Pacific flattened in 2025, India recorded sustained occupier expansion driven by manufacturing growth, resilient exports and the accelerating adoption of China+1 strategies. Bengaluru, Mumbai and NCR are projected to see around 5% rental growth in 2026, again outpacing regional peers.


Government incentives, infrastructure upgrades and rising investment across electronics, automotive and other industrial sectors continue to strengthen India’s role in global supply chains.


Structural Strength

Knight Frank concludes that 2026 will be a year of recalibration rather than retreat for Asia-Pacific real estate. Against this backdrop, India’s trajectory is anchored in structural strength — domestic demand, institutional maturity and policy clarity.

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