Track2Realty: The NCR residential market witnessed a dip in project launches in H2 FY13 compared to H2 FY12. Greater Noida witnessed the highest number of launches in H2 FY13. Majority of these projects are located on the Yamuna Expressway and fall in the affordable segment.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Integrated township in the Indian context is a baby that everyone was expecting with their own set of expectations. And hence, within a decade the term was so over-used that it lost its relevance. Any and every mixed land use was projected as an integrated township and it often lacked the basic DNA of affordability, convenience, lifestyle and walk-to-work. As a matter of fact, Trck2Realty noted township projects were also conceptualized by many as safe investments in India at a time when funds were on the look out to deploy and developers needed more projects in the kitty to bag that.
Jhumur Ghosh: I am a little curious. In 2008, all the funds of the world were lining up for real estate and signing and today we are having this discussion, in just four years. How does that happen?
Track2Realty Exclusive: What Indian realty needs is holistic reforms and for that what is needed is change in mindset. We wonder why every person in office doesn’t realise that his indecisiveness hurts interest of the country. Why authorities are trying to take a pro-publicity and anti-development stand whereby nobody gains?
Track2Realty: The 3C Company has partnered with Indo Canadian Cancer Research Foundation (ICCRF), who host the Terry Fox Runs in Dehradun, Delhi and Kashipur for cancer research in India. A marathon was organized in Dehradun as the first drive for the cause.
Track2Realty-Agencies: After making her foray into cricket with IPL Rajasthan team, Shilpa Shetty is once again entering a field dominated by men – real estate development. The actor has launched a company, Groupco Developers, in partnership with her friend and first generation entrepreneur Hem Tejuja, to develop housing projects in collaboration with land owners across the country.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Manoj John, VP, Corporate Planning & Strategy, RNA Corps maintains there is a correlation between cost of FSI and the nature of development that is viable given the high cost of land with limited development potential. If more can be built on the same land, the cost of land attributable to the project, which is as high has 50 to 80 per cent of project cost would come down. Hence, it would be viable for the developer to build residential projects at lower cost and hence make it more affordable.
I would like to ask the developer friends here when they say there is an ambiguity as far as ECB is concerned. Which are the funding routes that you find without ambiguity—whether it is private equity, QIP, IPO or any other route to raise money?
Gaurav Gupta: I would say there are multiple challenges for the sector.
Track2Realty: The NCR chapter of realtors’ body CREDAI said on Saturday, April 13, it will direct developers to disclose both saleable and carpet area in their brochure and is considering measures to regulate brokers who are engaged in mis-selling projects. It also claimed to put a check on the secondary sell by speculators.
Track2Realty Exclusive: For quite some time the developers in Mumbai were making pitch for the review of FSI in the city which they termed as archaic. Their grouse has not been lacking the merit also.