Over the last one year, capital values rose by more than 30-35% in Gurgaon’s residential sector. Developers are now going slow on execution of real estate projects, resulting in a drop in supply of residential apartments in most prime markets. Emerging residential areas are still not able to meet the huge housing demand.
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.
The Union Budget 2012-13 has left the Indian real estate sector grope with the indecision yet again and everyone is wondering whether the Finance Minister’s offer is glass half full or half empty for them.
The share of housing sector to the overall GDP (gross domestic product) is likely to rise by one per cent to 6 per cent on increased investment.
The Economic Survey, while recognising the importance of the services sector (it accounts for 59 per cent of gross domestic product), has raised concern over the second largest economic activity–housing & real estate. Three months after the government rolled back its decision to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, the survey referred to it as a major challenge before the sector.
It has been a difficult market to be in as a developer. Rising interest rates have impacted the customer interest in new properties moderating the flow of new funds and in addition to that high inflation and rising commodity prices have increased substantially the delivery cost for existing projects.
Replicating global trends, the Indian economy is looking towards an impending slowdown in growth due to decline in consumption expenditure, repeated hikes in interest rates and consistently high inflation.
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.
During the year 2011 when almost all other matured property market witnessed dip in transaction and price correction was on everyone’s lip, Bangalore registered both healthy transaction as well as upward price movement.