It would seem that the Union Budget 2011 pointedly ignored the larger issues affecting the Indian real estate sector at this sensitive stage of revival and growth.
With the reasonable expectation of a roof over the head not very long ago, the real estate boom in the last decade has scaled up the liberty of choice for the average home buyers. While the aspirations of even the middle and lower middle income with moderate budgets have gone up, there are very many residential projects launched in recent times that seem to fill the gap with the promise of faster deliveries, hi-tech amenities, luxurious lifestyle, lush green surroundings within the affordable range of 20-40 lakhs.
The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) has forecasted Kochi to emerge as the next realty hot spot in the wake of the commissioning of the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT ) at Vallarpadam. CREDAI believes the prices of land and buildings are all set to skyrocket as it will generate more direct and indirect employment opportunities.
If you are living as a tenant in Mumbai and seeking to buy a house this year, there seem to be quite a few confusions going around. While some of the reports and projected forecasts may give you a ray of hope, it would rather mislead you and your wait for a cheaper home may actually cost you to pay more in future.
A random Survey of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India said that in the view of continuous elevated inflation and increase of price of commodity across globe, has made out a strong case for continuation of stimulus package so that the growth momentum is not spiked.
Real estate developers have called for focussed support in the Budget for the first-time home buyer and measures to augment supply of housing for affordable and low income groups. Industry representatives have also called for a simplification of systems and tax reliefs as a step to bringing down costs and catalyse developments.
The RICS, an international, self regulatory professional body relating to real estate, has called for a mechanism for consumer protection and fair practices in real estate transactions. This will also help increase domestic and foreign investments in this sector.
I would say I am relatively dissatisfied with the focus of budget on realty sector in the last ten years. Our expectations have never been fulfilled and I now demand investments in infrastructure sector should be set as a priority, as good infrastructure is very necessary for the economic growth of the country.
The 2009 Mr. Salim committee report (parliamentary standing committee on housing) lays great emphasis on accelerating housing supply through increasing housing stock and promoting rental housing. It also refers to 24 million home shortage which will soon be 27 Million and ever increasing.
Value and Affordable housing remains a segment where government should definitely continue to provide developers with tax free status which was available earlier. Rather than restricting it to unit sizes as in the past of 1,000 / 1,500 sft per housing unit, the government could instead have a maximum per unit value of say Rs. 15 lakhs for units near Tier I Cities, Rs. 10 lakhs for Tier II Cities.