Track2Realty Exclusive: India, although not by plan, is experiencing a boom in once relatively obscure cities. Its rising urban centers are not confined to four metro cities or Bangalore and Ahmedabad, and load on urban land and overall infrastructure demands India must take learnings from global experience of redevelopment.
Track2Realty: New Delhi witnessed the entry of 13 prominent global retailers in 2012 as compared to 27 in Singapore and 51 in Hong Kong, according to CBRE’s new Retail Hotspots in Asia Pacific report. Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore top the list of cities for new retailer entries across Asia Pacific.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Mumbai city is leading the redevelopment process though the volume is still a fraction of the overall potential. Of course, Mumbai’s problems are unique and need solutions which are also unique as socio-political fabric of the society and ethnicity is diverse.
Track2Realty: Mumbai-Pune developer Kumar Urban Development Limited (KUL) has launched second phase of its integrated eco-friendly township, KUL Ecoloch, in Mahalunge, behind Balewadi Stadium, Pune.
Track2Realty-Agencies: A builder who failed to start a Greater Noida residential project on time has landed in trouble as a consumer court in New Delhi has directed him to pay compensation of Rs.3 lakh and refund the over Rs.49 lakh cost of a flat to a complainant.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The concept of city-states is centuries old. Ancient Greek cities of Athens, Sparta and Thebes were known to be poleis (singular polis) and what set them apart from their ‘non-poleis’ neighbors was these were self-governed and autonomous city-states. Relevant examples in today’s modern world are Singapore, Vatican City and Monaco.
Track2Realty-Agencies: While the promoters of realty firms in India are wary of selling stake and instead choosing institutional placement programme (IPP) over share auction to bring down holding to comply with regulatory norms, Bangalore-based Puravankara Projects has also plans to raise around Rs 450 through IPP route.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Urban renewal has led to economic rejuvenation of various countries and we shall have to find our own unique solutions while learning from best global practices. While Singapore and Malaysia’s transformation was led by sagacious leadership, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chicago, Birmingham and New York effectively used their political process to drastically improve quality of life, economic output and employment opportunities.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Some analysts maintain that the government needs to understand that in order to meet the infra needs we are left with no option but to transform the city.
Track2Realty Exclusive: What are the challenges for redevelopment of a project in the urban centres? Ram Makhecha, Director, Vakratunda Group believes 80 per cent of the buildings in a city like Mumbai are dilapidated. Most of the other 20 per cent new buildings are better because that got constructed under the redevelopment scheme in recent years.