Track2Realty Exclusive: Now that some progress towards bringing in real estate investment trusts (REITs) has been made it paves way for a positive investment climate in the country. The decision to allow listings of REITs in India as an investment product will boost the liquidity situation of cash starved developers, who are struggling to find funds for their construction activities.
Track2Realty-Agencies: The Securities and Exchange Board of India on Sunday, Aug 10, approved final guidelines for setting up of investment trusts for these sectors. This will enable Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvIT) to list on stock exchanges like shares and mutual fund units.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Elections, real estate and black money have a symbiotic relation. Track2Realty tries to understand this unique and complex relation of the sector and the politicians where cash is king, yet they deny and dismiss it. The colour of currency may be projected as white in public posturing, the cycle of cash transaction with black money starts from entry level itself. Lack of transparency is what keeps the cycle moving.
Track2Realty Exclusive: There is no denying that the Union Budget 2014-15 has incentivised the eco system of the Indian real estate both for the developers as well as the buyers. Many of the announcements by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may not have any direct bearing on the fortunes of the real estate developers in this fiscal year, yet the symbolic sops are enough to silence the otherwise overtly critical sector for some time now.
Track2Realty: The alarm on a tough upcoming budget was sounded when the newly elected Prime Minister said that “time has come to take tough decisions in the interest of the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking all due measures towards his vision of a ‘Shresht Bharat’, amidst some calibrated tough measures.
Track2Realty Exclusive: With a vision to make India a housing surplus nation from being the housing shortage country, CREDAI has been campaigning to make the business environment congenial for growth. But the realty bill, in its current form and shape, stifles the honest developer and scares away new entrepreneurs from entering the sector.
Track2Realty: Although the Interim Budget announcement supporting affordable housing was welcomed by the real estate industry, the segment has a long way ahead as yet. To begin with, there is considerable supply shortage in this arena—pegged at 18.78 million for the 12th Five Year Plan (2012–2017) by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry (HUPA), of which 96% is in the EWS and LIG categories. Housing shortage for the EWS stands at almost 11 million homes, while that for LIG stands at 7.41 million homes.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Funding, or rather lack of it, has been one of the key concerns of the real estate developers throughout 2013, yet if some of the key policy decisions that have been taken in the year it seems 2014 is all set to get big ticket funding. The money is poised to be invested in the sector and if not as private equity, the biggies will put in money through Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).
Track2Realty Exclusive: In realty business, brand is an additional value the consumer is prepared to pay compared with an ordinary product yet fulfilling the same purpose. If a brand is not able to offer the consumer better advantage that the competitors, it will turn into a commodity.
Track2Realty Exclusive: As the country faces problems over land acquisition, events around the issue have been tarnishing the image of India’s built environment. Across sectors — real estate, infrastructure and construction events have not been conducive enough to create a good environment for investments. In addition, fragmentation and irregularities within the market, instances of fly-by-night-operators duping the consumers, an absence of regulation over transactions and developers have given a bad name to the environment.