What has also fuelled this inventory creation is the fact that the Centre recently gave infrastructure status to smaller homes. This will help builders get funds easily and also give them more time of five years from the current three years to complete the projects.
Mumbai, as a matter of fact, demands rental housing to be promoted as the feasibility of such an option provides a broad choice of homes to both the investors as well as the expat professionals. The recent economic turmoil also underscored the many advantages of renting and raised the barriers to home ownership, sparking a surge in demand that has buoyed rental markets across the MMR.
The major demographic profile of the NRIs is from the states of Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab and other parts of North and South India. Going by what the traditional investment pattern of the Indians, the cities that should draw the maximum NRI investment should be Kochi, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh. But then it is the Mumbai city that has over the years commanded the maximum premium from the NRIs.
Mumbai has been the undisputed financial capital of India. The emergence of other business destinations, like Bangalore, Gurgaon or Pune could not take the sheen out of the city, even in the wake of infrastructure deficit and other urban problems plaguing the peninsular city. Now the Mumbai city is poised to elevate itself to the next level of business destination. The MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority) plans to make Mumbai a major global financial hub.
Across the peninsular cities of the world the use of waterways transport has been a matter of raging debate. Some of the cities have successfully done it to ease the load on the road traffic.
There is a general apprehension that because of large-scale discretionary concessions given by the planning authority to almost each and every project, it may eventually compromise with the essential requirements once the new DP relaxes the norms. They suggest the DP must ensure that the BMC (Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation) should not grant approvals to projects which are devoid of recreational areas, open spaces and fire safety.
Goregaon is gradually scaling up as luxury destination at the price of premium locality. Most of the new offerings are in the BHK plus and the analysts tracking the local property market are apprehensive that due to the short supply of smaller units the prices may hit the roof pretty soon.
There has been less of compact housing on offer and hence one wonders whether there are few takers for 1BHK in the city or there are certain other fundamentals of execution that come in the way of creating compact housing units.
Contrary to the general perception that only the Richie Rich can buy a house in Mumbai, the fact of the matter is that there is something for every budget segment. If not the fancy luxe living in posh areas, a roof over the head is always there with the rider of more money adding to more amenities and lesser travelling distances.
Around 20 out of the 35 species of true mangroves found in India have been identified along the Maharashtra coast and 15 species of these are found in Mumbai. Because of the high salinity of the soil, something like 60 per cent of Mumbai mangroves comprise Avicennia marina. Nor surprisingly this species also tolerates pollution including heavy metals such as lead, mercury and chromium, all found in significant concentrations in the Mithi River.