There is no honest single number for office interior design in India, but there is an honest range. For a corporate fit-out — design plus build, finishes plus furniture plus MEP — the working range we see in 2025 is ₹2,200 to ₹6,500 per square foot, all-in. Below ₹2,200/sq ft you are typically looking at warm-shell finishing without bespoke joinery; above ₹6,500/sq ft you are usually looking at imported finishes, premium AV and an executive zone that drives the average up.
What the spread actually depends on
Three things move the number more than anything else: the spec hierarchy you choose for finishes, the proportion of bespoke joinery vs catalogue furniture, and the lead times you accept. A 30,000 sq ft technology office with catalogue furniture, locally-sourced timber and standard acoustic ceilings will land around ₹2,800/sq ft. The same office with imported veneer, premium acoustic glazing, and bespoke reception millwork can land at ₹4,500/sq ft. The plate is the same; the brief is what moved.
Where the money tends to go
- Civil and finishes (flooring, ceilings, partitions, paint): 28–35% of total.
- MEP — electrical, HVAC, plumbing, fire, networking: 18–24%.
- Furniture and FF&E — desks, meeting rooms, lounge, custom joinery: 22–30%.
- Lighting (fixtures + DALI controls where used): 6–9%.
- Design and project management fees: 8–12%.
- Contingency, taxes and on-site overheads: 5–8%.
Cost per seat (a useful second metric)
Per square foot is the standard quote, but cost per workstation is often more useful for budgeting. A reasonable rule for a modern Indian corporate office is ₹2.0–4.5 lakh per workstation, all-in, including furniture and a fair share of common-area cost. A premium executive office with a private cabin can land at ₹6–10 lakh per seat.
What changes the cost most often after the brief
Late changes to the spec hierarchy. If a stone is upgraded after BOQ release, the ripple goes through millwork detailing, lighting, even joinery sequencing. We hold the spec hierarchy at brief stage — material families and grades — and then test choices against budget weekly. The projects where the cost stayed flat were the ones where the spec hierarchy did.
A working checklist for asking for a quote
- State the area in sq ft (carpet, not super built-up).
- Name the city and ideally the building.
- Specify finish hierarchy (basic / mid / premium / luxury) for at least four zones: reception, open desk, meeting, café.
- State the seat count target and any expansion factor.
- State the move-in date.
- Say whether design and build are one contract or split.
A studio that quotes you a single all-in number without those inputs is either guessing or over-pricing for safety. The fair version of the answer takes one or two days of brief work, even before any design.