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.
While the Indian realtors have often cribbed on the issue of under representation of the sector in respective budget, they have seldom admitted the fact that the real estate has been a divided house over their wants and needs. Navin M Raheja, MD, Raheja Developers suggests a way out and asserts that tax sops given to real estate will actually increase the government revenue.
While some reports have predicted correction in Mumbai realty market, Babulal Varma, Managing Director of Omkar Realtors & Developers assert that rising demand and low availability of ready-inventory will make Mumbai the most sought-after property market in 2011.
Through a hailstorm of bouquets, brickbats, controversies and triumphs, the Indian real estate sector has always been one of the mainstays of the country’s economy. At some level, every Indian is connected with it; in some way or the other, it affects every citizen of this country.
With liquidity from traditional channels like banks and equity markets drying up for property developers, non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) have raised rates for loans to real estate companies by two-three percentage points (200-300 basis points). The rates have gone up from 15-19 per cent to 17-22 per cent. The rates vary according to the developer, the project and the requirement of the company, say NBFCs and consultants.
Om Chaudhary, CEO or Fire Capital Fund has a word of caution for Indian realty market and he believes that while there’s a huge hunger line for the realty, FII’s inflow can be a matter of concern since China is going to control the GDP.
Private equity investments continue to trickle into project or SPV level in the realty space. Sun Apollo India Real Estate Fund LLC, a $630-million India-dedicated real estate private equity fund, has invested Rs 100 crore in a residential project SPV led by Parsvnath Developers Limited (PDL). SUN-Apollo will invest Rs 100 crore for a 49.9% stake in the project SPV, Parsvnath Buildwell Private Limited, which will develop a premium residential project at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, spread over an area of 31 acres. The project is called Parsvnath Exotica- Ghaziabad.
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has suggested the government to introduce Real Estate Investment Trust and Real Estate Mutual Fund to enable investors to own a diversified portfolio of professionally managed assets in the real estate sector. In a note submitted to the government, the Chamber said that the Indian Real estate sector currently lacks any monetization vehicle for capital intensive verticals such as commercial offices and retail malls.
This is the story of the plight of a family who wanted to sell off the house. What they got in exchange was a series of harassment by the property dealer. What makes this individual experience a case study and a newsworthy item is the fact that in the absence of any regulation, how the petty local goons are operating as property dealers.