National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), the apex body of real estate industry in the country, expects Finance Minister to grant infrastructure status to housing under section 801A of IT Act, 1961, thereby, treating housing at par to other infrastructure projects.
IT major Cognizant today announced its intention to pump in more than $500 million in the next four years in real estate development as part of its expansion program.
Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) India has announced the launch of ‘Millionaire Homes 2011’, after the successful series of Millionaire Homes 2009 and 2010 held in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. The event is designed as a platform for connoisseurs of lifestyle and fine living, to experience some of the finest concepts in luxury homes in India.
The Confederation of Real Developers Association of India has said the Government could consider a scheme along the lines of the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit allowed in the US with the benefits going directly to the consumer.
India is today facing a unique challenge of dealing with high inflation, while continuing on its high growth trajectory. Boosting of supply in all industries, including through incentivizing of infrastructure development, streamlining of regulatory process to reduce time and costs for business and tax incentives for low cost housing are all important areas which will help reduce inflation and also enable growth rates to be maintained.
Value and Affordable housing remains a segment where government should definitely continue to provide developers with tax free status which was available earlier. Rather than restricting it to unit sizes as in the past of 1,000 / 1,500 sft per housing unit, the government could instead have a maximum per unit value of say Rs. 15 lakhs for units near Tier I Cities, Rs. 10 lakhs for Tier II Cities.
While the Indian realtors have often cribbed on the issue of under representation of the sector in respective budget, they have seldom admitted the fact that the real estate has been a divided house over their wants and needs. Navin M Raheja, MD, Raheja Developers suggests a way out and asserts that tax sops given to real estate will actually increase the government revenue.
Atul Modak, City Head of Kohinoor Group of companies says they are bullish on the Mumbai realty market and have a couple of residential and commercial launches coming up this year. In an interview with Ravi Sinha, he wondered that in a market where input costs are going sky high, how can the market go downwards?
Real Estate Development, Investment and Advisory firm Netz Realty is launching townships near Mumbai and Bangalore. The Singapore based Netz Capital backed firm Netz Realty is launching Green Township projects on the model of self sustainable living for the 100 acres plus projects being planned near Mumbai and Bangalore.
While there are reports of price correction in Mumbai realty, R Karthik, Chief Marketing Officer of Mumbai based realty firm Lodha Developers believes there will be a positive trend in the year 2011 and the demand will be led by the real buyers.