Track2Realty: Across micro-markets, investor sentiment has been impacted due to inflationary pressures and rising interest rates through the course of 2012, which have only come down marginally with a few policy revisions by the apex bank in the second half of the year.
Track2Realty Exclusive-Yearly Analysis: Indian real estate companies are reeling under the burden of debt, so much so that the excess cash that they had borrowed has become a liability that they want to get rid of but are unable to relieve themselves due to various factors beyond their control. They are nonetheless trying all possible measures, from selling land bank to restructuring their portfolio. Track2Realty tries to assess the seriousness of the situation where many of the realtors are caught between the distress sale and the debt trap.
Track2Realty: Western suburbs of Mumbai are set for a facelift through redevelopment post the new Development Control Rule (DCR). Ravi Sinha speaks to Lalit Kumar Jain, CMD, Kumar Urban Development and CREDAI President to understand whether it would add more pressure on the existing crumbling infrastructure of the suburbs. Excerpts of the interview:
Track2Realty: India’s urban housing shortage is estimated at nearly 18.78mn households in 2012. By 2050, 900mn people will be added to Indian cities. The rapid pace of urbanization owing to the rural–urban migration is putting a strain on the urban infrastructure in these cities, indicates the KPMG – NAREDCO study on Real Estate and Construction industry, “Bridging the Urban Housing Shortage in India”.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Young professionals in metro cities are no longer the demand drivers of residential property. More than half of them, as many as 57%, say they would prefer to stay in rented apartment and instead invest in their tier-II and tier III city home town for better appreciation potential. 78% of those working professionals with double-income who have bought a house in metro now want to invest in their home town for second home.
Track2Realty: RICS and CREDAI have joined hands to promote professional skills in real estate and construction. At the 12th National Convention of CREDAI at Barcelona, a joint initiative called “RICS-CREDAI Skills Development Initiative” was announced to address the education and training needs of professionals engaged in the real estate and construction sector in the country.
Track2Realty: In most Indian metros, people have reached a point where the word “nature” has become a distant dream which they hope to enjoy on a vacation. All they get to see are tall scrapers coupled with a massive amount of pollution. Children in these cities do not know what it means to wake up to the chirping of birds, or even the view of sunrise. Most of India experiences such encounters with nature. However, people in metro cities are missing out on this special experience.
The recent decision by the Government to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail is understandably the talk of the town. There are various points of view regarding the impact it will have on the retail sector in specific and the Indian economy in general, but the decision is a big step in the direction of strengthening organized retail in the country. To get the complete picture, it is important to understand the situation which exists currently and how the new regulations are going to change the retail landscape.
In a bid to check the mushrooming growth of slums in the state, the Odisha government is planning to create rental housing at an affordable monthly rent of up to Rs 2,000 for the poor.
In view of the ever increasing housing shortage in cities and towns, the Union Ministry for Housing & Poverty Alleviation has decided to set up a high-level committee to recommend policy interventions to facilitate creation of rental housing stocks to cater to those who cannot afford to buy houses. The decision comes after several rounds of representation by the industry bodies, CREDAI & NAREDCO.