Track2Realty: Provide on-ground impetus for affordable housing In the previous nine-month Budget, the new government outlined its vision for boosting affordable housing. From the upcoming 12-month budget, the Indian real estate sector looks forward to provisions that firm this vision up on the ground.
Track2Realty: Real estate stakeholders in every Indian city are looking forward to the upcoming financial budget 2015 to see whether it will provide any relief to the sector. Developers have their own expectations, because positive announcements for real estate buyers made during the budget will help increase the market sentiment, and therefore sales. The general hope is that the budget will provide cheer to intending home buyers who have been deterred for various reasons.
Track2Realty: As we move closer to the Union Budget 2015–16, India’s real estate sector is hoping for certain key expectations to get implemented. Following the Government’s announcements of building SMART Cities in the Budget last year, the industry seeks more clarity on the exact definition of one in the Indian context, fund allocations for, and city/Greenfield location identification of such development. The implementation of such ambitions would ultimately result in national wealth creation—to help our cities become sustainable and livable urban centers of growth.
Track2Realty: Even in these times of gradual revival, many developers continue to battle the problems of curtailed liquidity. Many developers with large land holdings are not able to launch projects on these land parcels solely with their own capital, and therefore look to either partner with better-capitalized developers or those looking for development opportunities in an asset-light model by giving them development rights in such projects.
Track2Realty Exclusive: It has indeed been a busy year and 2014 can well be described as the year of roller coaster emotions where the business confidence index was exposed to two extreme ends of swing. In an otherwise flat year, the real estate sector may not have been witness to transactions on ground but the poetic engagement has definitely been at the emotional level.
Track2Realty Exclusive: 2014 was an eventful year for the commercial real estate market in India. The economic outlook in the first half of the year was uninspiring. Coupled with political uncertainty this resulted in investors and occupiers stalled making any real estate decisions. Business confidence was at its lowest. The sentiment changed dramatically in the second half post the national elections as it became clear that there would a ‘new’ stable government.
Track2Realty Exclusive:Following nearly two years of sub-5% growth due to currency volatility, high inflation and fiscal deficits, poor investment and market sentiment scenario, India’s economy bounced back with a growth rate of 5.7% during the April–June period of FY 2014–15, up from 4.6% in the preceding quarter. With business prospects improving across key sectors, the economy is expected to display further improvements in the next quarter.
Track2Realty: The year 2014 has been quite fruitful for the real estate sector in terms of business sentiment, although the real effect of many of the policies and amendments announced in 2014 will take effect only in 2015. Starting from Union Budget FY2014-15, where affordable housing was considered on par with infrastructure, to relaxation of rigidities in the Land Acquisition and Real Estate Regulatory Bill, India’s new Prime Minister has been offering the India real estate sector consistent doses of energy.
Track2Realty: Among the various regulations adopted in real estate development, Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is one of the most critical ones because it decides the intensity of development which is permitted in a certain area. Recently, the fact that the urban development ministry raised the FAR for residential areas in Delhi to 200% made headlines news because this will lead to a significant increase in built-up areas in many parts of the city, thereby infusing critically needed residential supply.
Track2Realty: We are currently witnessing a market scenario wherein inflation and interest rates will taper down even as the GDP growth rate picks up, and selective asset classes are becoming increasingly attractive for investment. International market dynamics suggests that gold and crude oil will continue to weaken, and commodities as an overall asset class will continue to display weakness because of easing inflation.