This funding round featured participation from high-profile individuals such as Dr. Shriram Madhav Nene, Anmol Sood, Sahil Vachani, Managing Director and CEO of Max Estates, and Rohit Kothari’s Anchorage Capital Fund. Prominent angel investor Ritesh Malik and Ankit Mittal and his family office Sixth Sense Ventures Partners also contributed to the funding round, among others.
Bengaluru and Mumbai saw the highest leasing in green-certified buildings, accounting for over 50% share in Q2 2024. About 80% of Technology as well as Engineering & Manufacturing firms prefer taking up spaces in green-certified buildings. Majority of the upcoming supply in various construction stages is expected to be green-certified, expanding green office stock to over 600 mn sq ft in next 2-3 years.
If the removal of indexation benefits with Long Term Capital…
AI & Robotics companies accounted for 21% of Bengaluru’s absorption in Q2 2024, as per Vestian’s quarterly office market report, The Connect Q2 2024. Rapid global advancement of artificial intelligence, combined with a supportive ecosystem, has significantly driven the demand for office space in the city. Overall, IT-ITeS sector, including AI & Robotics, accounted for 69% of the city’s absorption in Q2 2024.
In Bangalore, the cap rates for the logistics & warehousing assets continue to remain flat Q-o-Q with significant volume registered in lease transactions. Similarly, rental rates and capital values for Grade A commercial office segment have been flat with no significant change. Though interest rate regime is stable, the impact on the cap rate movement is limited due to transaction volumes and perceived risk not changing much.
India continues to experience positive retail growth, attracting foreign retailers to establish a presence in key locations. Charles Tyrwhitt, a men’s luxury fashion brand from the United Kingdom, opened its first store in Ahmedabad. Additionally, Maison Margiela, a French luxury fashion brand, and Franck Provost, a French beauty and wellness brand, entered the Indian market by opening their first stores in Mumbai and Bengaluru, respectively. Other noteworthy expansions include the opening of stores by international brands, such as the Swiss luxury watch brand Breitling and the American luxury fashion brand Michael Kors in Chennai and Pune, respectively. In addition, the Japanese homeware brand Daiso Japan and the skincare and cosmetics brand ILEM Japan also opened stores in Chennai.
While 3PL players continued to dominate the demand with about 36% share, space uptake by players from engineering, FMCG and electronics segments was significant with 12-16% share each. Interestingly, both engineering and electronics segments witnessed over 1.7X times leasing activity in H1 2024, compared to the corresponding six-month period of 2023. Going ahead, driven by conducive industry-specific policies and an enabling regulatory framework, diverse segments are likely to propel the industrial and warehousing space demand in India.
World Villas brings Scottish-themed architecture to Navi Mumbai, surrounded by natural forest trails and a scenic riverfront. The development boasts exclusive amenities, including the prestigious Club 10 Gymkhana which is inspired by renowned institutions like Bombay Gymkhana and MCA. This exclusive 50-foot tall gymkhana spans 2,00,000 square feet, spread over an expanse of 10 acres. It also features the grand ‘Hall of Fame’ arrival lobby which is 4000 square feet. This exclusive membership club features state-of-the-art facilities, including an IPL-size cricket ground, complemented by a private forest area with walking trails and tree houses. Inspired by the iconic Lord’s and the Oval, the IPL-size cricket ground at World Villas is also home to the expansive Veranda restaurant, a training academy, and a sports shop.
As the Finance Minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman announced to lower the LTCG (Long Term Capital Gains) from 20% to 12.5%, the stock market took a hit. The analysts across the financial spectrum immediately swung into analysis that the LTCG hike would adversely affect the stock market in the short term but big pocket investors won’t be affected as much as presumed. A section of financial wizards who understand the nuances of personal finance across the asset classes had even bigger a worry – Real Estate. Prima facie what looked like the LTCG being lowered from 20% to now at 12.5%, has in fact hurt the property market the most. Reason: the indexation benefit under Section 48 that is presently available for property, gold, and other unlisted assets have been now proposed to be removed.
Grade A office buildings with a built-up area of less than 5 lakh sq ft account for 47% of the total number of green-certified buildings. On the other hand, office buildings with a built-up area of more than 10 lakh sq ft account for only 19% of the total number of green-certified buildings. Despite this, 90% of the total projects within this category still qualify as green buildings, showcasing a strong focus on sustainability. Notably, green certification is rare in office buildings with a built-up area of less than 1 lakh sq ft. This signifies lower preference for sustainability practices amongst small and medium-scale developers and occupiers.