I would say I am relatively dissatisfied with the focus of budget on realty sector in the last ten years. Our expectations have never been fulfilled and I now demand investments in infrastructure sector should be set as a priority, as good infrastructure is very necessary for the economic growth of the country.
The 2009 Mr. Salim committee report (parliamentary standing committee on housing) lays great emphasis on accelerating housing supply through increasing housing stock and promoting rental housing. It also refers to 24 million home shortage which will soon be 27 Million and ever increasing.
India is today facing a unique challenge of dealing with high inflation, while continuing on its high growth trajectory. Boosting of supply in all industries, including through incentivizing of infrastructure development, streamlining of regulatory process to reduce time and costs for business and tax incentives for low cost housing are all important areas which will help reduce inflation and also enable growth rates to be maintained.
Value and Affordable housing remains a segment where government should definitely continue to provide developers with tax free status which was available earlier. Rather than restricting it to unit sizes as in the past of 1,000 / 1,500 sft per housing unit, the government could instead have a maximum per unit value of say Rs. 15 lakhs for units near Tier I Cities, Rs. 10 lakhs for Tier II Cities.
Through a hailstorm of bouquets, brickbats, controversies and triumphs, the Indian real estate sector has always been one of the mainstays of the country’s economy. At some level, every Indian is connected with it; in some way or the other, it affects every citizen of this country.
Prices of key materials like steel and aluminum have relatively stabilized in 2024. Rising construction cost has primarily been on account of labour cost surge, at about 25% YoY in the private sector. Volatilities in construction material prices and labour cost pressures are likely to push overall construction cost upward, albeit at a slower pace. Over the last one-year, average cost of construction is estimated to have risen up to 11%, mainly due to a significant surge in labour costs coupled with a moderate price increase in construction materials like sand, brick, glass, wood etc. Notably, the cumulative effect of rise in the prices of four key construction materials including cement, steel, copper and aluminum have been relatively low. In fact, average cement prices have seen a steep decline of 15%, while average steel prices have witnessed a ma
Very few budget announcements in recent past have raised as many queries as the LTCG (Long Term Capital Gains) Tax. After all, it concerns all of us, the common citizens of India, whether they are lower class or middle class. For the rich, it has always been a case of more tax reliefs than burden. Track2Realty is regularly getting queries with the underlying worry as to whether the LTCG Amendment makes the tax computation simpler or more complicated.
As the education sector evolves, factors such as technology permeation, revamped building designs, and focus on health & safety are likely to define education real estate. Besides, modern educational building design must prioritise flexibility so that spaces can be reconfigured to adapt to various teaching methods and activities, developing a dynamic learning environment. To address this and move away from traditional classroom setups, educational buildings now include collaborative spaces to encourage teamwork and group learning. Moreover, sustainable, and eco-friendly design elements, such as energy-efficient systems and natural lighting, are becoming increasingly common to reduce the environmental impact of educational buildings.
Mumbai recorded the highest potential SM REIT-ready completed office stock of ~75 mn. sq. ft. as of June’24, with around 10+ mn. sq. ft. of upcoming supply by 2026. Delhi-NCR recorded a completed SM REIT-ready potential stock of 70+ mn. sq. ft., followed by Bengaluru with 50+ mn. sq. ft. and Hyderabad with 30+ mn. sq. ft.. It is estimated that cumulatively, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Hyderabad could add an additional supply of potential SM REIT-worthy stock of ~36 mn. sq. ft. by 2026. Other cities such as Pune, Kolkata, and Chennai recorded 25+ mn sq. ft. of completed supply as of June’24. It is estimated that Pune, Kolkata and Chennai would cumulatively record additional supply of potential SM REIT-worthy stock of ~14 mn. sq. ft. over the next two years.
When the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, urged the States to cut Stamp Duty rates in her 2024-25 budget presentation, this was by & large seen as a mere headline making statement. Why would States cut the Stamp Duty on property when it is one of the major sources of revenue, was the general feeling in the collective consciousness. But now sources tell Track2Realty that there had been a message of deep meaning to the States going to polls.