Track2Realty-Agencies: Indian retailers feel that the clarification by DIPP on FDI in multi-brand segment, which among others require mandatory fresh investment in back-end infrastructure, will create hurdles and neither encourage foreign players nor domestic firms.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The remarkable difference in export performance of China vis-à-vis India over the last two decades compelled India to look at its northern neighbour for successful strategies. One of the key strategies leading to the Chinese success was setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) since 1980. SEZs became the drivers of China’s massive export surge and today, the 5 major Chinese SEZs account for a cumulative FDI of approx. $70 billion, generate 20 per cent of China’s total exports and provide direct employment to over 8 million people.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Administrative Reforms
A. Single window clearance for building approval.
B. Uniform and simplified building permissible rules.
C. No discretionary stoppage of work after granting approval for commencement without hearing by regulator/civil court.
D. Mindset reform; special campaign for political leaders and bureaucrats to support/accelerate growth, remove impediments.
E. To put mandatory block mentioning following in every order/permission, Date of application, Potential investment, Potential contribution to GDP in rupees, Potential new employment generation, Date of sanction, Number of days delay beyond permissible limit, reasons.
Track2Realty Exclusive: What is the level of understanding and willingness among the Indian developers to create smart cities in a country which has been branded as a ‘reluctant urbaniser’ by many international experts?
Track2Realty Exclusive: The debate of promoter versus professional driven realty companies gained momentum in the year 2012 because high attrition at the top level of realty sector has been in the news throughout the year. The Managing Directors of Indiabulls Real Estate and Peninsula Land quit in the month of October. So did the real estate heads of two property funds, Indiareit and Everstone Capital. Most of them either moved to other realty companies, starting their own ventures or shifting streams to join consultancies.
Track2Realty Exclusive: While the real estate fraternity, legal experts and others had strongly questioned the basis of the CCI order and the enormous penalty of Rs 630-crore levied on the real estate major, the sector itself eventually approached the CCI through its industry associations against the cement cartel. Acting on the sector representatives’ complaints, the CCI imposed a penalty of Rs. 6, 307 crore on 11 cement companies for cartelisation.
The Indian realty sector is facing an acute scarcity of labour as on today. The fast emerging problem will soon drive the realty sector to take to large scale mechanization and what is often referred to as project management. The propensity can be clearly understood based on the premise that the shortage of labour is projected to rise to about 65% mark by the next decade.
Track2Realty Exclusive: When the Competition Commission of India (CCI) alleged that DLF misused its dominant market position and imposed unfair conditions on home-buyers at two of its many projects, the real estate fraternity, legal experts and others strongly questioned the basis of the CCI order and the enormous penalty of Rs 630 crore levied on the real estate major. However, within a year the real estate sector itself approached the CCI through its associations against the cement cartel, and got them nailed as well. Consumers too are approaching repeatedly the anti-monopoly body. Track2Realty wonders whether the CCI has become the new regulator in the sector by default.
Track2Realty Exclusive: While the concept is being touted as the next big thing for the realty industry, there are both pros and cons to be weighed with integrated townships. There, of course, is the flip side too. Long gestation periods for these projects to take off and reluctance on the part of people to move to an isolated location are challenging from the developers perspective.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Real estate has not just been innovative but also aggressive in raising money. They have raised money against sales with a guarantee that if the price falls, they will buy it back. It has been a protection on the bank’s side that if the prices fall, of course there is a margin of about 20% and if the prices fall more than that, they will buy back. 20% has been the cut off because about 10% is the expense in buyback, brokerages, paperwork etc.