Need for a revolution that will see the poor get access to housing is more eminent than ever before, and that, in such a revolution lies a great business potential for the realty sector. This was one of the strong messages that emerged from the South India Real Estate Conference, 2012, inaugurated in Bangalore on Friday, July 3.
The institutional projects in India are normally working in a PPP model because such projects have long payback periods and require large capital investment. Further, they are large in size and hence require number of approvals, making Government participation relevant to secure initial approvals, clearances and get the project going.
Kumar Urban Development Limited (KUL) has launched a series of shops at different locationsof Pune at an investment of about over Rs 250 crores.
Sahara Group has agreed buy a controlling stake in the city’s iconic Plaza Hotel for USD 570 million from the Israeli-owned real estate company Elad Properties.
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.
Jones Lang LaSalle’s REIS findings are in, and a closer look at the 1H12 data reveals relatively subdued activity during the period compared to 1H11. In 1H12, the top seven cities of India together recorded a 35% dip in absorption compared to 1H11. The contraction in demand caused developers to progress more slowly on their projects thereby aligning the supply with demand.
The RBI, on Tuesday, July 31, kept the repo rate or the rate at which banks borrow from RBI unchanged at 8% and also the reverse repo rate at which, the banks lend to RBI unchanged at 7%. However, it has lowered the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) to 23% from 24% earlier. The realty sector, reeling under liquidity pressure and low demand due to high interest rate, has reacted sharply over this status quo.
DLF is in advanced stages of negotiation with Lodha Developers to sell its prime land in Mumbai for about Rs 2,700 crore and a deal is expected to be finalised shortly.
Emaar Properties has reported a 44.35% jump in net operating profit of $332 million for the first six months of this year. The company had posted an operating profit of $230 million in the January-June period of last fiscal. However, total income for the first six months of 2012 remained flat at $1.068 billion, Emaar Properties said in a statement.
According to the latest RICS India Commercial Property Survey, sentiment in the Indian real estate market has been adversely affected in the second quarter, as the economic picture in the country continues to remain bleak with the declining value of the rupee and growth forecasts being revised lower, along with a deteriorating global climate.