Track2Realty Exclusive: Slow economic growth affecting housing market
The recent Indian economic growth has been hampered by several domestic and global factors, resulting in the GDP growth plunging to 3 years low at 5.3% in 2QFY13[1]. Factors such as weak global economy, high interest rates, high inflation, high fiscal deficit, and lack of reforms were the primary reason affecting the GDP growth.
Track2Realty: The year 2012 witnessed subdued interest in real estate due to inflationary pressures and rising interest rates in the country, coupled with the on-going economic crisis in the Eurozone and US.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Most of the real estate analysts believe the year 2012 has been pretty disappointing and actually a waste. Anshuman Magazine, CMD of CB Richard Ellis (South Asia), however, feels it was better than expected. He asserts when the global economy is down and the Indian GDP continuously nose diving, any movement is a positive indicator. In an Exclusive Interview with Track2Realty Magazine talks about the learning of the year and sounds cautious with the prospects of the year ahead.
Track2Realty: Across micro-markets, investor sentiment has been impacted due to inflationary pressures and rising interest rates through the course of 2012, which have only come down marginally with a few policy revisions by the apex bank in the second half of the year.
Track2Realty: Office space absorption dipped by 23 per cent during 2012 in major cities to 29 million sq ft as corporates remained cautious of expanding businesses amid global uncertainties and slowdown in the Indian economy, property consultant Cushman and Wakefield has said.
Track2Realty: MCHI CREDAI has appealed to the Maharashtra Government to slash the ready reckoner rates that form basis for stamp duty.
Track2Realty: A cautious RBI decided to keep key policy rates untouched, and the sector reacted insipidly to the RBI’s decisions, which were taken after its mid-term quarterly policy review. While many financial analysts termed its move as “over cautious” one and said that they were expecting a cut in key rates, realty reeling under a whole lot of issues and living on a wish of market revival in the year ahead said the decision to leave policy on hold has no immediate implications for the real estate sector.
Track2Realty: The year 2012, which started on an unenthusiastic note due to the global as well domestic economic turmoil, is now showing initial signs of recovery. Amongst the larger world economies, the US economy recorded a GDP growth of 1.7% between April and June, slightly higher than earlier estimates of 1.5%.
Track2Realty: Cushman & Wakefield has expanded into the Philippines with a new office in Manila, its 5th new office in Asia Pacific so far in 2012.
Track2Realty-Agencies: Billionaire Indo-Canadian landlord Bob Dhillon, who is on the Canadian Prime Minister’s entourage currently visiting India, said India can be a developer’s dream because of so many factors. The Japan-born, India-educated businessman also said he “will be the first person to invest in India,” if the country “now goes for the kind of reforms it has just announced for FDI in retail.”