Track2Realty Exclusive-Yearly Analysis: In a market where the five largest firms saw 75 per cent erosion in their combined market capitalization, burdened with debt and struggling with poor growth, there are few lessons these realty companies have been forced to learn the hard way.
Track2Realty: India Ratings has revised its outlook for the Indian real estate sector to negative to stable for 2013, from negative in 2012. Demand remains subdued and EBITDA margins low, leading to weak credit metrics for companies in the sector. The agency however sees signs of improvement, in terms of stability of margins and the easing of liquidity pressures, with free cash flows turning positive since H2FY12.
Track2Realty-Agencies: The government is likely to come up with a Bill in the forthcoming Budget Session of the Parliament to regulate the real estate sector, Housing Minister Ajay Maken said on Wednesday, Dec 9.
Track2Realty: New real estate launches in 2012 declined by 30% in 2012, versus a 7% decline seen in 2011. Slowdown in bank credit to real estate amid economic slowdown was attributed to the stagnancy in new ventures, a Knight Frank report said.
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-Yearly Analysis:During the boom, many developers dreamt 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 per cent interest was cheap by Indian standards. When the going was good, they went overboard with over ambitious big-ticket projects in various cities, many of which still remain stalled.
Track2Realty: Amidst a global economic slowdown as a consequence of the US fiscal cliff and Eurozone debt crisis, India’s growth forecasts too have been revised downward over the last three quarters of the year.
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: Western suburbs of Mumbai are set for a facelift through redevelopment post the new Development Control Rule (DCR). Ravi Sinha speaks to Lalit Kumar Jain, CMD, Kumar Urban Development and CREDAI President to understand whether it would add more pressure on the existing crumbling infrastructure of the suburbs. Excerpts of the interview:
Track2Realty: CREDAI has urged lawmakers to consider reforms in the real estate sector to boost growth. In an open letter to MPs, Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) National President Lalit Kumar Jain said, “Though the government is moving in right direction with bold reforms agenda, much more can be achieved without any controversy or incurring additional cost just by focusing on the housing sector.”