Track2Realty: There has been a 43% increase in Q1 2014 new residential unit launches from the previous quarter. The total estimated unit launches were recorded at 55,500 units across major eight cities of India with Bengaluru recording the largest number of units launched, an increase of 22% from previous quarter, says a report by Cushman & Wakefield.
Track2Realty: The real estate sector has welcomed the Union Housing Minister Ajay Maken’s move to accord infrastructure status to affordable housing on expected lines. The industry body CREDAI has nevertheless called for extending similar treatment to the entire housing sector again on expected lines. However, the market dynamics defy any dreams of mass housing or cheap housing even for the economically weaker sections.
Track2Realty: The government is working on a proposal to allow Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to participate in the country’s rental housing market.
Track2Realty: The Maharashtra government has revised lease rentals of a total of 1,577 lands situated in Mumbai city and suburbs. The revised lease rentals, which are fixed on ready recknor rates, would be effective from January 1. State cabinet chaired by Prithviraj Chavan gave its approval at its meeting held on Tuesday, Oct 9.
Track2Realty: The total new demand that could be generated for residential dwellings in the period 2012 – 16 will be 11.8 million units across India, says a new report by Cushman & Wakefield. Of the total additional demand, the top 8 cities will be constituting 18% or 2.1 million units across categories. The annual report “Evolving Paradigm – Future Of Indian Real Estate” is in association with Global Real Estate Institute (GRI).
An estimated 17500 residential units were launched by organised developers in the second quarter of 2012 in major cities across the country, registering a decline of nearly 44% over the previous quarter, says a report by global real estate consultancy, Cushman & Wakefield (C&W). This decline in launches can be attributed to a number of factors such as delay in approvals, significant inventory in certain locations as well as postponement of project to coincide new launches with the festival season.
CREDAI has stressed the importance of a devising a new scheme like tax holiday to generate stock under affordable housing category. It demands that all projects with tenements below 80 sq meter in Mumbai and Delhi, and 1000 sq meter in other cities, could be exempted from taxes.
National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), the apex body of real estate industry in the country, expects Finance Minister to grant infrastructure status to housing under section 801A of IT Act, 1961, thereby, treating housing at par to other infrastructure projects.
After the Convention of confederation of real estate developers’ association of India (CREDAI) where the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee urged the realty sector to be poor sensitive, it seems the affordable housing is the buzz word now. National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), the apex body for real estate and housing sectors under the aegis of Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India, also announced that its convention is aimed at realizing the “Housing for All” call of Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.
While the commercial office sector will dominate Indian REIT listings for the next couple of years, retail and logistics REITs are sure to follow. However, Indian residential REITs remain at best a distant possibility. The draft Model Tenancy Act, 2019 will make rental housing a more attractive investment play – but for Indian residential REITs to succeed as they have in countries like Singapore and the US, rental yields on Indian housing need to significantly surpass the current 1-3%.