Beyond what is happening in the strategic board room meetings of realty companies, market is cautiously optimistic that with the inventories piling up, developers will sooner or later be forced to blink. A look at the recent developments in the sector does indicate that prices can come down, but it all depends on the builders holding power.
DLF on Sunday, July 15, said it planned to cut its Rs 23,000-crore debt to about Rs 17,000 crore in this financial year and asserted that it was not unduly “perturbed” by the massive load.
Lanco Infratech Ltd, the power producer, is reportedly seeking buyers for a real estate business it values at 27 billion rupees ($483 million). According to the sources close to the development the company has asked investment banks to submit proposals to manage the sale.
More than 30% of retail mall space against the projected supply for the first half of the year were deferred, says Cushman & Wakefield report on the retail real estate market. A fresh mall supply for H1 2012 stood at 2.27 million sq. ft. (msf). Approximately one million sq.ft. of expected mall supply was deferred to second half of the year or next year. The overall vacancy rate for the major cities as of H1 2012 stood at 19.6% marginally higher than the previous quarter.
Leasing of prime office space across key cities in India witnessed an increase in the second quarter of 2012 with over 7 million sq.ft. of office space being absorbed across key cities.
Quality has suddenly become the buzzword in the realty sector to tide over the unprecedented crisis meet with the uncertain times ahead. Builders are now hiring quality surveyors, construction project manager, energy efficiency specialists and others who can get them quick buyers.
During the boom, many developers dreamed of transforming the urban landscape with millions of square feet of homes, offices and malls and set off on an aggressive expansion financed with debt that at 6 percent interest was cheap by Indian standards.
The first half of 2012 recorded total absorption of approximately 13.4 million sq ft of office space in India registering a decline of 21 percent compared to same period last year which was 16.9 million sq ft.
Singapore-listed technology park developer Ascendas is close to acquire an IT Special Economic Zone of Shriram Properties in Chennai for about Rs 500 crore, said banking sources close to the development. Ascendas, which owns a string of business parks in India, is said to have pipped competing offers from other global investors Tishmen Speyer, Xander Group and Mapletree, a real estate arm of Temasek.
Godrej Properties (GPL) has announced creation of a residential development platform with Rs. 770 Crore of equity commitments comprising of a group of global investors led by Dutch pension services provider APG, one of the largest pension fund managers and real estate investors in the world. The investor group also includes Sparinvest Property Fund II, a global real estate fund-of-funds managed by Sparinvest Property Investors.