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: 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: Uncertainties prevailing in the real estate market since the past few years have resulted in the country no longer being an attractive investment destination for international investors, says a recent survey.
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.”
Track2Realty-Agencies: Mantri Realty on Friday, Dec 7, said it will invest up to Rs 750 crore to develop three housing projects in Maharashtra and Karnataka over the next 2-3 years.
Track2Realty-Agencies: Foreign investors are being cautious about the Indian real estate market because it fails to meet the global standards, says Sean Tompkins, global Chief Executive Officer of UK-based Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).