The Chennai-based Shriram Group, is expanding its realty business Shriram Properties. As per the plans the Group will invest around Rs 1,500 crore over the next three years in developing various residential projects. The zero-debt company says 60 per cent of this investment, or around Rs 900 crore, would be funded through equity, from existing or new investors.
Concerned over excessive flow of banking funds to the real estate sector, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said lenders will provide loans only up to 80 per cent of the cost of property. Following the RBI directive, a home buyer will necessarily have to arrange at least 20 per cent of the property value on his own before seeking loan from a bank.
Considering the amount of negative press they get, it is not immediately apparent that there are also less negative ways of looking at them. For instance, slums represent an extremely high-density model of residential settlement. In this respect, they make the most efficient use of limited land possible.
Global property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle has cautioned that housing prices in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai have reached the peak level of 2008 and any further rise in the rates will adversely affect the demand. It said the prices in the rest of the country may firm up by about 10-15% next year to touch the 2008 level.
While many of the retailers are cribbing about the high cost of retail outlets, the retail empire with revenues of around Rs.10,000 crore, Future Group seems to believe in the conventional wisdom of joining if not beating the rivals. The Group is eyeing a piece of India’s booming real estate sector—putting finishing touches to new homes.
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.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has urged the real estate sector to be sensitive to the purchasing power of the poor while pricing their housing units. Speaking at the 10th national convention of the Confederation of Real Estate developers” Association of India (CREDAI) in New Delhi on Dec 16, Mukherjee also called for greater integrity in development, construction and marketing or real estate business.
After one and a half years of gradual consolidation, real estate in India has fathomed its own comfortable ground, and is poised at the right threshold to take a giant leap in years to come, according to the forecast of the Jones Lang LaSalle, the global real estate services firm.
The 10th National Convention (NATCON) of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) is being held in New Delhi, Dec 16-17, and the focus this year is on the affordable housing. The convention will be attended by more than 600 leading real estate developers, heads of financial institutions, fund managers, bankers, state & central government representatives, realty professionals and international experts. The convention will highlight the areas of concern in providing affordable housing to meet the growing need of creating inclusive development in the sector.
While the foreign direct investment flows (FDI) dependent Indian realty market is awaiting a good fortune, a World Bank report brings cheer to the industry. It says the FDI into developing countries including India is expected to recover over the next couple of years and is projected to increase by 17 per cent in 2010.