Opinion ‘Ghost’ malls of Bengaluru: What we must do to have a sustainable urban future

In recent years, however, malls in India are transforming for the worse. According to a report by real estate consulting firm Knight Frank, India has seen a significant increase in the number of underperforming malls, rising from 57 in 2022 to 64 by the end of 2023. This number will likely be even higher in 2025. Despite its booming retail sector, Bengaluru hasn’t been immune. The city has seen a rise in “ghost malls” (shopping centres where over 40 per cent of retail space lies vacant and there is a considerable loss in overall commercial value). Once bustling hubs of activity, these spaces now suffer from low foot traffic and widespread abandonment. Examples in the city are plenty: The slow demise of Grand Sigma Mall in Vasanthnagar, the abandonment of ETA Mall in Binneypet and the closure of the Centro Mall in Bellandur. These once-popular destinations now stand as reminders of changing consumer behaviour and poor mall management.

The decline of malls has been the subject of growing research. This phenomenon is driven by multiple factors: Outdated infrastructure, rising competition from newer malls, financial challenges, and, perhaps most significantly, the rapid rise of online retail. In Bengaluru, many malls have struggled to keep pace with these shifts, losing their relevance in a fast-evolving retail and lifestyle ecosystem.

In light of these challenges, some critical questions must be asked: Do malls in Bengaluru need to be planned and designed differently? Can outdated or “dead” mall typologies be reimagined or repurposed? Asking these questions is essential for understanding the city’s changing urban fabric and for exploring more adaptive, future-ready alternatives.

Malls are massive structures that demand substantial financial and environmental investment during their construction and upkeep. Bearing this in mind, the short and often unsustainable lifespan of malls in the city underscores the importance of a clear exit strategy. Ideally, this plan should be built into the development process from the very beginning, involving collaboration between developers, planners, architects, and city officials. It should define how the space can be responsibly adapted for alternative uses in the event of commercial failure.

Mall layouts, with their large open floor plans and robust infrastructure, lend themselves well to this transformation. With much of Bengaluru’s mall infrastructure situated on private land, commercial repurposing serves as a key driver in shaping profitable urban land-use for developers. Former malls can be converted into commercially viable spaces, such as co-working spaces, corporate offices, hospitals, hotels, convention centres and restaurants. In Bengaluru, several defunct malls have already found a new purpose through adaptive reuse. For instance, Gopalan Innovation Mall, once a wholly retail destination, now houses VFS Global visa offices. Zepto has recently signed a new lease on its new office premises, which was previously a shopping centre called “Total Mall” on Sarjapur Road.

There are examples of commercial spaces being repurposed to revive their commercial activity. Sparsh Hospital, located on Infantry Road, occupies a space that was previously used as an office. With a hotel now part of Gopalan Mall on Old Madras Road, there is potential for increased foot traffic and better use of space, which could support the mall’s revival.

These cases serve as a powerful reminder that a mall’s story does not need to end in abandonment. What is essential, however, is the presence of a contingency plan, i.e., a viable “Plan B” that ensures such large spaces are not wasted, but reimagined and repurposed to serve evolving urban needs. As Bengaluru strives to create a more sustainable and efficient urban future, one often overlooked challenge is the rise of ghost malls: Large, underutilised structures occupying prime urban space.

To address this, the city’s developers must prioritise repurposing existing malls into commercially viable, resource-efficient spaces. Whether transformed into offices, healthcare centres, or other hubs of commercial activity, these structures can be reintegrated into the urban fabric instead of being left to decay. As consumer behaviour evolves, mall designs must include a long-term vision, one that plans for alternative uses from the outset. Only with such foresight can Bengaluru ensure a more sustainable, adaptive, and socially responsible approach to its urban development.

The writer is with Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy