Track2Realty Exclusive: Analysis of East Zone
The transaction activity registered in Kolkata in 2012 was down by 42% during Q1-Q3 2012 compared to the year ago period. The subdued demand is the result of the uncertainty prevailing in both the global as well as domestic markets. Most of the corporates have trimmed their expansion plans and instead looking at consolidation to optimize their real estate usage and bring down the costs.
Track2Realty-Agencies: IDFC Alternatives, real estate arm of Infrastructure Development Finance Corp. Ltd (IDFC) has bought assets worth about Rs. 250 crore in Pune’s real estate developer Paranjape Schemes (Construction) Ltd’s Hinjewadi Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for information technology (IT) and information technology-enabled services (ITeS) firms and luxury residential space.
Ravi Sinha: I have a question here, and I will be very frank with Mr Tripathi. Any journalist who writes on real estate finds it very amusing that the sector has always tried to put the ball in the government’s court. Since you have been part of the government, how far will you agree to this?
Track2Realty: Walking on a tight rope of fiscal management, the Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram did his best to bring smiles on the faces of home buyers. Something that should cheer up the real estate sector looking left, right and centre for buyers with piling inventory. Still, a section of real estate is sulking. Why so? Track2Realty tries to understand the grey zones where for the realtors it was a case of “ye did maange more.”
Track2Realty Exclusive: The Indian real sector has evoked mixed response to the Union Budget 2013-14, though by and large there is optimism within the sector. Here are some of the responses—
Track2Realty: India faces shortage of fresh supply of houses, the Technical Group on the Estimation of Housing Shortage projects the total shortage of dwelling units in urban areas in 2012 to be 18.78 million, said a report by Knight Frank Research.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Wading in troubled water, when the Indian real sector was looking for direction through the Union Budget 2013-14, the Finance Minister seems to have given symbolic relief to the sector by encouraging the home buyers but at the same time has denied the sector some of the long pending substantive demands. To allow an additional tax deduction of Rs 1, 00,000 on interest rate for home loans up to Rs 25 lakh, the Union Budget has aimed to give more boost in low cost housing segment.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Analysis of South Zone
Bangalore is the only major metro in the country which saw a year-on-year increase in take-up of office space in 2012. The total take-up increased by 9% to 8.3 million sq ft in Q1-Q3 2012, from 7.7million sq ft in the year-ago period as a number of occupiers took-up space for their future requirement for consolidation and expansion.
Track2Realty Exclusive: These are the logical road to reforms and cutting time on approvals. Such a move will go well with the government and thus reinforce the confidence of the buyers also.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The Indian real estate today stands at a crossroad where it seems the government is confused, the developer is confused, the financer is confused and the buyer is confused. They all seem to be in a wait and watch mode but not sure as to waiting for what. While the government is sitting over two crucial bills that has far reaching implications on the future of Indian real estate, reforms and regulation means different things to different stake holders. With a tectonic shift expected this year, all the stake holders are evaluating their own cost-benefit.