Track2Realty: Driven by demand across office and retail segments, rents across commercial real estate are expected to witness a hike over the coming quarters across all segments on account improving economic environment. As a result, capital values are expected to remain broadly stable in the coming quarter.
Track2Realty Exclusive: To say that the Indian business community in general and the real estate developers in particular desperately wanted a change in the business outlook and hence change in the government would be stating the obvious. For the last couple of years they were cribbing about policy paralysis, inflation, and negative sentiments, and hence the developers are visibly elated with the change of guard at the Centre.
Track2Realty: The Housing Sentiment Index (IIMB MB HIS) assessed by IIM Bangalore and Magicbricks forecasts that homebuyers across 8 of the 10 cities surveyed expect real estate prices to rise over the next six months. The aggregate Housing Sentiment Index (HSI) measured across 10 cities this quarter stood at 108. (An HSI score of 100 suggests the prices would remain static).
Track2Realty: Tata Housing, has announced the launch of its mixed use township at Colombo in Sri Lanka. The project in partnership with UDA (Urban Development Authority) of Sri Lanka will commence its operations with starting construction of residences for rehabilitation of the current tenants in the phase one and also launch a mix use development project at slave Island in Colombo. The company will invest over $ 400 million for the project.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Prophets of doomsday in Mumbai who till only recently have written off the growth of the city and its realty market due to saturation and infrastructural bottlenecks are today very apprehensive lot. The proposed industrial corridors promise to open the floodgates of new investment opportunities and make them eat their own words. Mumbai which has been facing stiff competition with certain other emerging markets is expected to redefine the financial capital of the country once the first corridor Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project is over and investors find avenues like gold mine on the ground.
Track2Realty: A burgeoning automobile ancillary industry and the IT/ITeS sector’s growing presence have been the major growth drivers behind the notable transformation of Maharashtra’s second largest city—Pune. Over the past couple of years, the city’s IT sector in particular has seen significant growth, leading to sustained demand for office space in the city.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The Tamil Nadu Government must be commended for its focus on infrastructure development; it is a key determinant of the state’s economic progress. So long as the commitment to infrastructure remains, the prognosis for real estate will be good.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The occupier report of office space is often seen as the barometer of the vibrancy of the given property market since it indicates the level of economic activity that sustains all other segment of real estate, residential and commercial in particular. However, in downtown Coimbatore market this premise was never considered for critical evaluation since the market had multiple demand drivers and office uptake was not necessary criterion for any of these demand drivers.
Track2Realty: Transactions in India’s real estate space might have slowed down over the last two quarters, but the sector has not been overwhelmed by the state of the wider economy. Despite the subdued pre-election economic scenario, in fact, the period observed an increase in private equity activity.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The current economic environment is indeed one of the most challenging in recent history. The headwinds of inflation, interest rates, construction costs, and subdued consumer demand have constrained real-estate growth in many micro-markets across the country. Economic volatility aside, I am optimistic about long-term real-estate sector prospects. My optimism is founded in irrefutable realities – the rapid urbanization of India, burgeoning segment of upwardly mobile Indians, limited availability of urban residential housing and unabated aspiration of home ownership.