Sending positive signs from easing the cash crunch for the realty sector, Secretary for Financial Services D K Mittal on Monday, Sep 17, asked the commercial banks to focus on funding partially completed projects on a priority basis and development of projects in small towns.
The Indian residential market volumes spiraled down in terms of demand and supply almost every successive year in this decade. From a high of 480,000 units in 2010, the supply last year stood at mere 103,000 units across the top 8 cities.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Elections, real estate and black money have a symbiotic relation. Track2Realty tries to understand this unique and complex relation of the sector and the politicians where cash is king, yet they deny and dismiss it. The colour of currency may be projected as white in public posturing, the cycle of cash transaction with black money starts from entry level itself. Lack of transparency is what keeps the cycle moving.
Track2Realty-Agencies: The Centre is ready with an ambitious plan to sell surplus government land to generate cash to ease financial pressures, as suggested by the Vijay Kelkar Committee on fiscal consolidation. A Cabinet note prepared by the Finance Ministry within days of the Kelkar Panel submitting its recommendations says that proceeds from the sale or lease of surplus land, seen as a non-performing asset, would be used only to repay loans or create capital assets that will generate recurring revenue.
Two-wheeler loans, consumer durable loans, gold loans, vehicle finance and loan against property are the segments where NBFCs have a very strong presence across the country and enjoy a much larger share than the public sector banks.
No one would like to admit or put on record but privately most of the developers maintain that their major investors have pulled out of market, both for land finance as well as for investment in the under-construction inventory.
On the face value the developers are maintaining an optimistic outlook, but privately many of them admit that demonetization, GST and job market uncertainties have collectively spoiled the festive sentiment this time around. Add to it, the developers running short of fresh ideas in how attract today’s discerning buyers, and it seems market is destined to remain flat.
“How long can a sector survive which is borrowing at 48 per cent from private lenders to serve the interest of previous debt raised at much lower rate,” asks a banker. His concern is not without valid reasons. Developers experimented with all funding options but still many of them are now being forced to seek other sources of funding which not only comes at a significantly higher cost but also where the source of fund is unregulated.
Track2Realty: The alarm on a tough upcoming budget was sounded when the newly elected Prime Minister said that “time has come to take tough decisions in the interest of the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking all due measures towards his vision of a ‘Shresht Bharat’, amidst some calibrated tough measures.
Track2Realty: Real estate investors as well as developers in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) had been cautiously awaiting the results of the recently concluded General Elections to ascertain the future mood of the market. Having been elected with a full majority, the new government will hopefully usher in a stable regime at the center, which will definitely have a positive impact on the real estate sector too.