Sending positive signs from easing the cash crunch for the realty sector, Secretary for Financial Services D K Mittal on Monday, Sep 17, asked the commercial banks to focus on funding partially completed projects on a priority basis and development of projects in small towns.
Chennai is known for its conservative mind-set, which reflects visibly on its residential property market trends, as well. For instance, home buyers in Chennai have historically been driven by location over and above most other considerations, and this had put definite limits on the demand and potential for community living in the city.
An estimated 17500 residential units were launched by organised developers in the second quarter of 2012 in major cities across the country, registering a decline of nearly 44% over the previous quarter, says a report by global real estate consultancy, Cushman & Wakefield (C&W). This decline in launches can be attributed to a number of factors such as delay in approvals, significant inventory in certain locations as well as postponement of project to coincide new launches with the festival season.
Global experience has it that typically convention centres are done as part of a large integrated township, commercial complex (hotel, office and convention center). Hence such projects are of more interest to large developers.
A new retail report released by Jones Lang LaSalle emphasises that changes across the global retail banking environment continue to be driven by political, economic and technological trends. These trends will lead to continued bank expansion in frontier markets, offsetting the search for greater efficiency in developed markets.
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.
Indian real estate companies, which borrowed heavily during the peak of the economic cycle and rosy business forecast, are now caught in the vortex of piling debt post-slowdown. Most of the realtors who went on a land bank acquisition with borrowed money are struggling to repay even the interest and banks look reluctant to restructure the debt any more.
The new concept of integrated townships is now more about a single developer taking over a large tract of land. There are benefits too. “The infrastructure is under the developers’ control,” explains Anuj Puri, Chairman and Country Head, JLLI, adding that the developer can plan and use the FSI better, and long-term maintenance is a possibility.
Integrated townships can reduce the burden on infrastructure and provide a fulfilling lifestyle for buyers, at a much reduced cost all round. Gulam Zia, National Director – Research & Advisory Services, Knight Frank India points out, “Of late, the planning authorities and Government bodies have realised the importance of integrated townships and are giving special concessions for creation of such townships.
Many developers believe that slum redevelopment adds asset value appreciation to the existing properties in the vicinity. This is a primary concern when it comes to town planning and infrastructure development. They say when a slum is redeveloped; the infrastructural development of the area in and around it is bound to happen.