In Q2 2012, the retail landscape in India was characterized by subdued demand coupled with restrained supply of mall space and largely stable rentals, says a DTZ report. While continued high inflation levels have restrained consumer spending and delayed purchase decisions, the slowdown in economic growth and weak consumer sentiments have resulted in a sense of uncertainity amongst retailers thereby putting expansion plans on hold.
In the biggest realty deal in the country this year, DLF Monday announced sale of 17 acres of prime land in Mumbai to Lodha Developers for Rs 2,700 crore, almost four times higher than the price it had paid in 2005.
DLF’s Chairman K P Singh has said that RBI’s monetary policy should not stunt the growth of real estate sector and uninterrupted access to affordable finance is vital for this business.
Beyond what is happening in the strategic board room meetings of realty companies, market is cautiously optimistic that with the inventories piling up, developers will sooner or later be forced to blink. A look at the recent developments in the sector does indicate that prices can come down, but it all depends on the builders holding power.
More than 30% of retail mall space against the projected supply for the first half of the year were deferred, says Cushman & Wakefield report on the retail real estate market. A fresh mall supply for H1 2012 stood at 2.27 million sq. ft. (msf). Approximately one million sq.ft. of expected mall supply was deferred to second half of the year or next year. The overall vacancy rate for the major cities as of H1 2012 stood at 19.6% marginally higher than the previous quarter.
Leasing of prime office space across key cities in India witnessed an increase in the second quarter of 2012 with over 7 million sq.ft. of office space being absorbed across key cities.
The unprecedented restructuring of project portfolio, selling of land bank, exiting non-core business and the job cuts have yet not led the Indian real estate into the desired comfort zone. The realization to shed the flab has on the contrary left some of the developers to outsource the project execution and pay more.
Realty sector may appear to be bullish and project that downside is over with rosy forecast ahead, yet the decline in fortune is far from being over. As a matter of fact, the learning in the last four years has made most of the leading players to restructure their project portfolio and shed the flab.
The first half of 2012 recorded total absorption of approximately 13.4 million sq ft of office space in India registering a decline of 21 percent compared to same period last year which was 16.9 million sq ft.
Indian real estate companies, which borrowed heavily during the peak of the economic cycle and rosy business forecast, are now caught in the vortex of piling debt post-slowdown. Most of the realtors who went on a land bank acquisition with borrowed money are struggling to repay even the interest and banks look reluctant to restructure the debt any more.