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.
There is a lot of housing supply coming in, but the affordable variety is not happening where it is needed the most – in the central regions of cities like Mumbai, where properties are extremely overpriced now. Nevertheless, this is causing newer locations to be developed in the further suburbs, so the residential market is expanding.
Noida, once projected as the largest industrial town in Asia, is today one of the best location for residential purpose too in the Delhi-NCR region. It is also emerged as the gateway to the investors in Uttar Pradesh. New Okhla Industrial Development Authority, or better known as Noida only, was developed in the 1970s as a modern industrial city under the UP Industrial Area Development Act, 1976.
Confusing it may sound, but a project called Delhi One has been launched in Noida by the trend setter of green building concept in India The 3C Company. This mega mixed-use project incorporating residential, commercial, retail and hospitality zones is spread across 12.5 acres at Sector 16-B, Noida.
The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India has expressed displeasure about the proposed Model Real Estate (Regulation of Development) Act in its present form, saying it could lead to an escalation of prices of housing stock in the country by Rs 300 per sq ft.
Mumbai is the financial capital of the country. While it is still a far cry from being comparable to Shanghai in terms of aesthetics and infrastructure, the fact remains that most large corporations and financial institutions have their presence in this city.
With the return of confidence in the sector, Indian real estate players are now once again looking at private equity funding. That said, the industry still depends heavily on bank debt, NBFC funding and end-user advances. This is because bank debt is a cheaper option, and also because it offers flexible tenures.