With the Government of India approving an increase in the carpet area of houses for the two middle-income group categories, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban, the industry stakeholders are getting euphoric as if this is the panacea for the ills that the afflicted the business.
Beating the slowdown blues, Bangalore-based developers DLF and Brigade continued their growth momentum with increase in revenue an profit. DLF, on the contrary, continued to lose the market share and revenue as slow sales hit the developer leading to quarter-on-quarter slide.
On the face value the developers are maintaining an optimistic outlook, but privately many of them admit that demonetization, GST and job market uncertainties have collectively spoiled the festive sentiment this time around. Add to it, the developers running short of fresh ideas in how attract today’s discerning buyers, and it seems market is destined to remain flat.
With about 10 million sq ft (0.9 million sq m) of office leasing in Q3, gross absorption totalled around 28.9 million sq ft (2.7 million sq m) over the first nine months.
Contrary to the general perception that the eco system is getting tougher for the builders due to home buyers’ activism, vigilante media and judicial intervention, the facts suggest that the developers have been given too long ropes to cross the bridge over the buyers’ interests. As a matter of fact, there are many instances of amnesty to the developers in the last few years.
Ashiana Housing has been among the first to spot the potential of the town and move into Bhiwadi market. Its Joint Managing Director, Ankur Gupta agrees that when the promises of major infrastructure like roads, transportation, water, sewage facilities and education facilities are provided, the real growth of Bhiwadi is inevitable. Retail and commercial projects like Village Center, Angan Plaza are already there and many more landmark developments are also coming up.
Secondary market attracts a significant number of transactions and as per a rough estimate nearly two third home buyers get an apartment in the secondary market.
The satellite towns and periphery locations of major cities across the country has been stigmatised as the last refuge of the struggling home buyers. The collective consciousness looks at these locations meant for buyers who have no choice but to compromise with their wants and needs. These locations often have not helped their cause with poor infrastructure and connectivity, thus lending credence to the critics’ aspersions as down market locations.
HUDA (Haryana Urban Development Auhtority) is making all efforts to project the market as investment destination and once operational the KMP (Kindly-Manesar-Palwal) Expressway will connect the Neharpar area with Delhi and Gurgaon. A three-km flyover between Delhi and Faridabad which will ease traffic bottlenecks at the Badarpur border has already cleared the traffic bottlenecks in the area. Six-laning of the existing bypass road starting from Badarpur, parallel to the Agra and Gurgaon canals is further adding to its connectivity.
The Central and States governments are now contemplating many ways and means to provide access to housing for all. Affordable housing will not only fill the housing gap but be the next major economic growth driver by creating more than 2 million jobs during the period till 2022.