AI & Robotics companies accounted for 21% of Bengaluru’s absorption in Q2 2024, as per Vestian’s quarterly office market report, The Connect Q2 2024. Rapid global advancement of artificial intelligence, combined with a supportive ecosystem, has significantly driven the demand for office space in the city. Overall, IT-ITeS sector, including AI & Robotics, accounted for 69% of the city’s absorption in Q2 2024.
The survey showed a trend towards diversification in the office sector, with a preference for expanding portfolios across multiple cities. This trend is driven by factors like a skilled workforce, improving infrastructure, cost-effectiveness, government support, and the benefits of exploring new geographies. Apart from the major cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, NCR, and Mumbai, occupiers are particularly interested in expanding in Chennai and Pune. India’s strong economic growth is fueling investments across various sectors, leading to increased demand for diverse office space requirements. While gateway cities continue to see growth in office space demand, Pune and Chennai are witnessing a surge in both office leasing activity and new office space supply.
Corporate governance & professionalism seem to be the emerging mantra of survival for Indian real estate. But the man who visualised the need for this decades back, maintains a low profile to not take any credit as the first-mover of institutionalising Indian real estate. As the industry body CREDAI decorates Ravi Puravankara for the lifetime achievement, Ravi Sinha interviews him to understand what goaded this first-mover to adopt corporate governance.
Ramneek Sethi, an IT professional wanted to invest in the stock market. He was keen on real estate stocks keeping in mind its growth potential and India’s increasing urbanisation. However, a meeting with the financial planner changed his mind. The financial planner categorically asked him to stay away from volatile real estate stocks and instead get into the power play through proxies in cement, steel, and other ancillary businesses. Reason: Real estate stocks are not just volatile, but more often than not even defy the principles of fundamental analysis and technical analysis.
The Union Budget 2023-24 has by and large ignored the long standing and some immediate concerns (even needs than wants) of the Indian real estate sector. The Finance Minister has not only ignored the supply side of the business, but also didn’t bother to address the demand side, that is the home buyers. Ironically, the leading voices of the sector are still happy with some of the intangible gains even though tangible benefits are non-existent.
The reports of Adani Realty merger with DB Realty has taken market analysts by surprise. According to the sources close to the developments, this is Adani’s bid to get into listed realty companies’ portfolio. However, the larger question that only Adani Realty can answer is that to what extent would the giant carry over the baggage of the tainted DB Realty. The memories of Godrej Properties announcement to join hands and getting market backlash of shareholders are still fresh in public memory. A Track2Realty analysis.
Godrej Properties has strengthened its brand leadership for the 2nd consecutive year. The 9th edition of Track2Realty BrandXReport 2020-21 finds that the K-shaped recovery in the Indian real estate has helped most of the organized developers with corporate governance, at the cost of the large universe of the companies operating like personal fiefdoms.
The Nifty Realty Index that touched a low of 162.13 on 19th May in the post Covid mayhem has now scaled up to 280.00 (First week of December). The BSE and Nifty also surged more than 50% since the March lows, thus making the Indian stock market one of the best performers across the world. India’s only REIT, Embassy Office Park that scaled down at INR 319 is back in the range of 350 with a forecast of crossing 400. The second REIT, Mindspace Business Pak that was over-subscribed 12.96 times in the month of August this year, is also on its growth curve.
Catering to India’s housing demand, SOBHA is the only Indian real estate company to make it to this prestigious list of growth drivers for the APAC region among other construction companies listed. The evaluation was based on companies having: revenue of at least $100,000 generated in 2015; revenue of at least $1m generated in 2018; being independent; headquartered in one of 11 territories in Asia-Pacific (Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines) and whose revenue growth between 2015 and 2018 was primarily organic.
Private Equity funds, domestic and multi-national, have become major players in the Indian real estate market, investing tens of thousands of crores. While Blackstone and Brookfield have hitherto been largest foreign investors in Indian real estate, a gamut of Japanese Private Equity giants are also making waves. Heavyweight Japanese Corporations such as Mitsui Fudson, Mitsubishi Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation and Genkai Capital too have made big-ticket investments in Indian metro cities.