Track2Realty: Provide on-ground impetus for affordable housing In the previous nine-month Budget, the new government outlined its vision for boosting affordable housing. From the upcoming 12-month budget, the Indian real estate sector looks forward to provisions that firm this vision up on the ground.
Track2Realty: With a consistent track record for delivering the highest value to home buyers and investors alike, Pune’s real estate market has remained one of the most vibrant and exciting in India. By attracting more and more international and IT/ITeS companies to establish their operations, the city has been generating jobs at a scale which is unmatched by any of the other Indian metros.
Track2Realty: Redevelopment is not a new phenomenon in Mumbai. Various parts of the city have being seeing redevelopment in pockets for many years as the city planning authorities strive to accelerate urban renewal and improve the quality of real estate and infrastructure, and developers strive to make a profit. The redevelopment process happens against a backdrop of the city’s fast-growing population and the rising demand for space amid limited availability of developable land.
Track2Realty Exclusive: In 2014, India elected a new Central Government with absolute majority after three decades. The absolute majority helped in the formation of the strong government capable of taking decisive steps without much opposition. Likewise, several pro-business reforms were introduced to propel the infrastructure growth and to infuse a positive sentiment for the future of the real estate sector including revitalising Special Economic Zones (SEZs), development of several industrial corridors, creation of 100 smart cities, relaxation in FDI norms in real estate, supporting affordable housing sector, introduction of REITs and InVITs etc
Track2Realty: In a market still defined by significant lack of transparency, real estate consultancies play a complex and responsibility-driven role in all real estate transactions, especially in the case of high-value property assets. In large ticket sized transactions such as those involved in Grade A office spaces, there can be no margin for error. Transparency, ethics and accurate market information play an inalienable role in closing such deals.
Track2Realty: Currently, tier 2 and 3 cities account for a smaller proportion of operational shopping malls in India. However, with rising consumer aspirations and demand, the potential of these cities in terms of retail real estate is increasing. Both national and international retailers are expanding businesses in these cities, and this is fuelling demand for organized shopping spaces. While the major metro cities are continuing to launch bigger, international-standard malls, tier 2 and 3 cities are currently graduating to next level by initiation of shopping mall developments. There are notable exceptions to this – Lulu Mall in Kochi is, in fact, the largest mall in India as of today.
Track2Realty: Prabhat Ranjan, co-founder of Brick Eagle, a financial services platform for the affordable housing industry, has forayed into real estate development, incorporating a new venture Olympeo Infrastructure. The company has launched its first project Olympeo Riverside, an integrated township spread across 25 acres on the banks of Ulhas River, in the Neral-Karjat belt, an extended Mumbai suburb.
Track2Realty Exclusive: It has indeed been a busy year and 2014 can well be described as the year of roller coaster emotions where the business confidence index was exposed to two extreme ends of swing. In an otherwise flat year, the real estate sector may not have been witness to transactions on ground but the poetic engagement has definitely been at the emotional level.
Track2Realty: The year 2014 has been quite fruitful for the real estate sector in terms of business sentiment, although the real effect of many of the policies and amendments announced in 2014 will take effect only in 2015. Starting from Union Budget FY2014-15, where affordable housing was considered on par with infrastructure, to relaxation of rigidities in the Land Acquisition and Real Estate Regulatory Bill, India’s new Prime Minister has been offering the India real estate sector consistent doses of energy.
Track2Realty: Among the various regulations adopted in real estate development, Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is one of the most critical ones because it decides the intensity of development which is permitted in a certain area. Recently, the fact that the urban development ministry raised the FAR for residential areas in Delhi to 200% made headlines news because this will lead to a significant increase in built-up areas in many parts of the city, thereby infusing critically needed residential supply.