Suvishesh Valsan : Shaping Research As The Foundation Of Real Estate
Suvishesh Valsan
Senior Director & India Research Head
At the forefront of this transformation is Suvishesh Valsan, Senior Director & India Research Head, Cushman & Wakefield, a global real estate services firm with a 100-year legacy and more than 52,000 professionals worldwide.
With nearly two decades of experience across macro- economics, commodities, retail, and commercial real estate, Suvishesh combines analytical depth with strategic foresight.
Before venturing into commercial real estate, he served as a junior economist with one of India’s largest mutual funds and later conducted fundamental research in commodities trading at a leading multi-commodity exchange.
Transitioning into realestate, Suvishesh’s research contri - butions have been instrumental in enhancing market transparency and delivering actionable intelligence to industry stakeholders. His specialized consulting work spans airports, metro systems, and other transit-oriented developments, where he has helped integrate research with strategic development planning.
For Suvishesh, research is not merely about data dissemination; it is about foresight, precision and enabling better decisions for stronger futures.
We are delighted to engage in an exclusive conversation with Suvishesh as he shares his journey, leadership philosophy, and more.
What strategies do you follow to deliver end-to-end solutions while maintaining a consistent vision?
For an aspiring researcher, it is essential to accumulate deep
domain knowledge by conducting thorough research and continually testing the concepts with the help of other specialists. Over time, as one matures into a seasoned professional, the ability to define problem statements, curate project scope, and communicate with clarity becomes critical.
This evolution, from rigorous subject immersion to effective knowledge dissemination, enables research leaders to deliver end-to-end knowledge solutions while maintaining a consistent vision.
How does AI fit into research?
Beyond statistical and visualization tools, the use of AI in research is becoming a necessity among professionals to improve productivity and generate quality insights. Recently, I experimented with open-source AI tools on two complex research projects and was impressed by the depth of results they delivered.
While generative AI is still evolving, I believe it can soon serve as a reliable validation partner for senior researchers, making early adoption essential. Prompt engineering is a craft that all researchers must learn to optimally utilize the power of AI for research.
How have you built a work environment that supports your team’s growth?
Leadership starts with clarity and trust. I believe in harnessing individual strengths, encouraging collaboration through peer learning, and aligning with new-generation needs for timely and meaningful feedback. This blend of clarity, collaboration, and adapt ability creates an environment where people grow professionally, while contributing to organizational goals.
What are your views on incorporating Gen Z into the workforce?
Gen Z is ambitious and quick to adopt new technologies, bringing fresh perspectives to the workplace. However, their potential often needs focused direction, making mentorship essential. Guiding them not only helps channel their energy effectively but also creates a valuable two-way exchange, where leaders, in turn, learn to be more flexible, adaptive, and open to new ways of working.
Successful outcomes is a combination of rigor, persistence and an unwavering commitment to excellence
This evolution, from rigorous subject immersion to effective knowledge dissemination, enables research leaders to deliver end-to-end knowledge solutions while maintaining a consistent vision.
How does AI fit into research?
Beyond statistical and visualization tools, the use of AI in research is becoming a necessity among professionals to improve productivity and generate quality insights. Recently, I experimented with open-source AI tools on two complex research projects and was impressed by the depth of results they delivered.
While generative AI is still evolving, I believe it can soon serve as a reliable validation partner for senior researchers, making early adoption essential. Prompt engineering is a craft that all researchers must learn to optimally utilize the power of AI for research.
How have you built a work environment that supports your team’s growth?
Leadership starts with clarity and trust. I believe in harnessing individual strengths, encouraging collaboration through peer learning, and aligning with new-generation needs for timely and meaningful feedback. This blend of clarity, collaboration, and adapt ability creates an environment where people grow professionally, while contributing to organizational goals.
What are your views on incorporating Gen Z into the workforce?
Gen Z is ambitious and quick to adopt new technologies, bringing fresh perspectives to the workplace. However, their potential often needs focused direction, making mentorship essential. Guiding them not only helps channel their energy effectively but also creates a valuable two-way exchange, where leaders, in turn, learn to be more flexible, adaptive, and open to new ways of working.
How do you stay updated with industry trends?
Reading remains fundamental, but in our profession, it is also important to be exposed to real estate and macroeconomic trends on a regular basis. The key lies in processing vast amounts of information, aligning it with organizational priorities, and identifying the most relevant insights that support leadership in making confident, data-backed decisions. As a research lead, one of the tasks is to build a strategic approach to relate trends with practical results.
What is your envisioned roadmap for the next five years?
I aspire to be recognized among the leading research and advisory professionals, backed by strong market fundamentals, relevant experience, and effective communication skills. At a leadership level, my goal is to serve as a true ambassador of my firm, bringing confidence, energy, and commitment to every endeavor.
What advice would you like to pass on to the upcoming leaders?
The real estate industry in India is experiencing huge growth and institutionalization, driven by institutional grade developers and foreign investments. This evolution underscores the need for experienced leaders in research who can provide quality, data driven insights. Success in this environment requires persistence, rigorous research, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, because all efforts to create credibility in an informed decision-making business environment have no short-cuts.
Suvishesh Valsan, Senior Director & India Research Head, Cushman & Wakefield
With nearly two decades of experience spanning macro - economics, commodities, retail, and commercial real estate, Suvishesh brings a deep and multi -dimensional understanding of market dynamics. His professional journey reflects how research has evolved from being a mere support function to becoming a strategic driver of decision-making at the highest level.
•Hobbies:Travel, hiking, nature trails, and reading
•Favorite Book: My Life in Full by Indra Nooyi
•Favorite Travel Destination: Eurasian countries
•Favorite Cuisine: Medi - terranean and South Indian
Reading remains fundamental, but in our profession, it is also important to be exposed to real estate and macroeconomic trends on a regular basis. The key lies in processing vast amounts of information, aligning it with organizational priorities, and identifying the most relevant insights that support leadership in making confident, data-backed decisions. As a research lead, one of the tasks is to build a strategic approach to relate trends with practical results.
What is your envisioned roadmap for the next five years?
I aspire to be recognized among the leading research and advisory professionals, backed by strong market fundamentals, relevant experience, and effective communication skills. At a leadership level, my goal is to serve as a true ambassador of my firm, bringing confidence, energy, and commitment to every endeavor.
What advice would you like to pass on to the upcoming leaders?
The real estate industry in India is experiencing huge growth and institutionalization, driven by institutional grade developers and foreign investments. This evolution underscores the need for experienced leaders in research who can provide quality, data driven insights. Success in this environment requires persistence, rigorous research, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, because all efforts to create credibility in an informed decision-making business environment have no short-cuts.
Suvishesh Valsan, Senior Director & India Research Head, Cushman & Wakefield
With nearly two decades of experience spanning macro - economics, commodities, retail, and commercial real estate, Suvishesh brings a deep and multi -dimensional understanding of market dynamics. His professional journey reflects how research has evolved from being a mere support function to becoming a strategic driver of decision-making at the highest level.
•Hobbies:Travel, hiking, nature trails, and reading
•Favorite Book: My Life in Full by Indra Nooyi
•Favorite Travel Destination: Eurasian countries
•Favorite Cuisine: Medi - terranean and South Indian