Atul Modak: Why did bankers’ lobby not block the mutual funds then?
Pranay Vakil: Because the mutual funds lobby is larger than the bankers’ lobby. They could not do anything about it. The companies into mutual funds are so large, they might just foray into banking.
If only the secondary market was any indicator of real estate growth, the argument that that the real estate market is turning bearish in Chandigarh would have been true. But while the prices have softened a bit in the city, the beneficiary is the periphery of Chandigarh that makes the overall property market in the city very bullish and overall economy vibrant.
By allowing external commercial borrowings (ECBs) in the low-cost housing segment, the supply of affordable housing projects will increase in the outskirts of Mumbai in areas such as Karjat, Boisar, Nalasopara, Virar, Dombivili etc. on the heels of increased liquidity for budget home projects.
A city with almost every household having one family member working in the Gulf, Kochi or Cochin’s resident population is waking up to new business avenues. This transition is also leading to a growing demand for commercial and residential property.
It is a highly disappointing budget. The Finance Minister has miserably failed in highlighting the importance the role of Housing in economy, employment generation, apart from the very need of housing. The announcements on ECB for affordable housing is a minor respite but still meaningless.
Despite a gloomy global outlook, foreign direct investment (FDI) clocked a 31 per cent growth to $27.5 billion during January-December 2011 period. FDI inflows for January-December 2010 stood at $21 billion.
It seems the euphoria within the realty sector over the proposed income tax exemption limit on housing loans from Rs. 1.5 lakhs to 3 lakhs has faded even before the union Budget 2012-13 is formally presented.
During the economic downturn of 2008, while the other neighbouring and glamorous property market of Bangalore and Hyderabad fell by 24-29 per cent, the Chennai market fell only 8.3 per cent. Limited supply of land and pent-up demand is how NHB’s Residex defines Chennai property market.
After a sharp recovery in the first one-and-a-half months of the calendar year — the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Realty Index gained over 50 per cent, real estate stocks seem to have lost steam.
Property consultants and real estate developers have demanded industry status to the realty sector in the forthcoming Budget.