Overseas realty funds drying up
With only $400-500 million of foreign funds flowed into the Indian real estate sector in 2009-10, the outlook ahead seems to be far from being rosy.
With only $400-500 million of foreign funds flowed into the Indian real estate sector in 2009-10, the outlook ahead seems to be far from being rosy.
Which is beneficial, buying a property or staying on rent? In the absence of a robust and reliable tool, these decisions were traditionally taken with gut feel or with the guidance of a close relative / friend, leaving scope for error. The real estate website Makaan.com has now launched India’s first Buy vs. Rent Index.
The Mumbai realty market is awaiting a policy change by the Maharashtra Government that could appreciate the prices in South Mumbai, while soften up the market in the suburbs. Real estate prices in South Mumbai range between Rs 20,000 and Rs 1 lakh per sq ft, whereas the rates in the suburbs range between Rs 6,000 and Rs 40,000 per sq ft.
Shares in DLF, India’s biggest real estate developer, traded higher in-line with the broader BSE realty index Tuesday, Aug 7, morning. At 11 a.m., the stock traded 1.3 per cent higher at Rs 214 on the BSE. The shares, up 15.4 per cent this year, are lagging a near-21 percent gain in the real estate index.
India continues to exhibit strong economic growth prospects and business optimism is reflected in the increasing number of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in recent years. The traction in the number and volume of public issues lends credibility to an environment of higher corporate earnings, rising participation by retail and institutional investors, and availability of adequate liquidity in the market. With 123 fresh issues (As of 20th October 2024) across multiple sectors, 2024 has already surpassed the total number of IPOs witnessed in 2023.
The Union Budget 2022-23 lacked any fresh ideas as far as the real estate in general and the housing market in particular is concerned. Most of the announcements are more or less the extension of the old schemes and roadmaps. The euphoria of the industry stakeholders ahead of the budget turned into a deafening silence in the next few hours of budget speech.
It was expected to be a future ready budget and the overtones in the power corridors were also self-congratulatory in advance. It finally turned out to be pretty ordinary budget for the real estate sector. The stakeholders are nevertheless looking for the silver lining here and there. The most critical stakeholder, the home buyer, is pretty disappointed with the Union Budget 2021-22.
Beyond the pessimism & optimism and, to some extent, more than expected recovery post the Covid-19 lockdown, the fact remains that 2020 has been by and large the most unforgettable year for the economy in general and the real estate market in particular. The old timers in the business even maintain that this has been even worse year than the global economic collapse after the Lehman crisis in 2008.
This policy ‘trishul’ brought about a paradigm shift in the way Indian real estate does business and laid the groundwork for improved transparency and efficiency in the sector. However, while end-user and investor confidence were rekindled for real estate, it did not exactly set the industry on fire with renewed interest.
Two-wheeler loans, consumer durable loans, gold loans, vehicle finance and loan against property are the segments where NBFCs have a very strong presence across the country and enjoy a much larger share than the public sector banks.