Highly-established developers are known to conduct careful research on their locations and are therefore able to pinpoint the most happening growth corridors. They know what product works best, and where it works best. While end-users are assured that they are buying into a well-researched area, this fact also ‘raises the bottom’ for investors who are looking for the right product to back.
In the ‘golden years’ of India’s housing market, property was the default go-to option for big-ticket investment. With real estate’s fading allure, investors began exploring other options and found them to quite rewarding. For instance, they can invest in a start-up with sums as ‘low’ as INR 10 lakhs. Many entrepreneurially-inclined Indians find the potential ROI (as high as 15% in many instances) makes more sense. Mutual funds provide good returns and the entry level is low enough to be affordable to many.
Over the last few years, co-working spaces have gained popularity with start-ups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large corporates. Unlike the traditional business centres, co-working offices offer unique amenities such as a gymnasium, spa, a food court, gaming zones, sleeping pods, crèche services etc. These attributes have helped popularize co-working spaces among employees, entrepreneurs and corporates alike.
Better returns, a mature and transparent market are some of the factors that have made investors flock to the country’s commercial real estate. With commercial segment remaining the most favoured among all kinds of asset classes, high-net-worth investors and the uber-rich are now looking at pre-leased assets, primarily office assets, with hope.
Decline in occupancies was more visible in key cities including Goa, Pune and Ahmedabad, according to the Hotel Momentum India (HMI) – H1 2019, the half-yearly hospitality monitor (for January to June 2019 period), released today by JLL Hotels and Hospitality Group.
ANAROCK research indicates that out of the total new supply in H1 2019 – approx. 1,39,480 units in the top 7 cities – over 53% (73,930 units) were launched by branded developers, and 47% by non-branded entities. In H1 2018, branded developers’ share was 52% and during H1 2016 – before DeMo and RERA – non-branded developers had a 60% share (approx. 95,600 units) of the total of 1,59,090 newly-launched units in the top 7 cities. Branded developers accounted for 63,490 units (40%) of the total supply in the period.
Without compromising on fiscal prudence, the Finance Ministry will have to present a budget that is not only inclusive but also assures growth across industries. It clearly shoulders a considerable share of responsibility for retaining India’s position as the fastest-growing economy.
The country’s housing market has also seen the highest impact of policy-induced disruptions. Given the fact that the housing market was tainted by malpractices and lack of customer-centricity by developers, the Government had to step in with policy interventions squarely aimed at cleaning up the sector.
This policy ‘trishul’ brought about a paradigm shift in the way Indian real estate does business and laid the groundwork for improved transparency and efficiency in the sector. However, while end-user and investor confidence were rekindled for real estate, it did not exactly set the industry on fire with renewed interest.
This is hardly surprising – a woman’s relationship with her home is unique; and while any other ‘relationship status’ may change in today’s rapidly-evolving socio-economic scenario, owning a home in her name gives her the ultimate security in a changing world.