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: Though the opening of the Indian retail sector to foreign direct investments may have brought cheers to the commercial real estate sector in the country, it is expected that the supply of distressed properties within the commercial segment will increase during the second quarter of 2013, according to the RICS India Commercial Property Survey Q1 2013.
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: The redevelopment of a city depends on many local factors and cannot be replicated ad hoc. Mumbai has its own character and flavour and has to be developed according to local needs and infrastructure availability. The government in consultation with developers should work in redeveloping the city of Mumbai by improvising on infrastructure.
Track2Realty: Omkar Realtors & Developers, one of the leading players in making the slum redevelopment a success story in Mumbai believes slum projects are generally feasible in Metro Cities and more particularly in Mumbai. Shifting focus on Slum Rehabilitation for ECB will really help the sector.
Track2Realty: When the Reserve Bank of India made the announcement of allowing External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) in affordable housing, including slum redevelopment, there was an optimism and euphoria that cheaper money coming into the much-needed segment of real estate would redefine the property market in general and in the process help the country meet the housing shortage.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Mumbai city is leading the redevelopment process though the volume is still a fraction of the overall potential. Of course, Mumbai’s problems are unique and need solutions which are also unique as socio-political fabric of the society and ethnicity is diverse.
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: Puniet Singh, CEO, Sherwoods Independent Property Consultants says the latest trend of moving to the outskirts in the vicinity of IT companies benefits individual and professionals to have their comfort nearby with office and home in the same areas. This will expand the horizon of modern living as well. Further the distance from the city allows its residents to stay away from traffic, pollution and congestion.
Track2Realty: The greatest opportunity and challenge to India’s growth is infrastructure and the greatest challenge to the growth of infrastructure is risks – anticipated and unforeseen – that is part of any project. Risk and its effective mitigation were discussed at Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) & CBRE’s flagship event the 2nd Edition of the Conference on Infrastructure Project Management with the theme ‘Risk Management in Projects’. CBRE is the Knowledge Partner for the Conference on Thursday, April 25.