“With the opening of the real estate sector, there’s a lot of need for funds,” Jhaveri said in a recent interview in
Hong Kong. “The government has been giving very proactive support to the whole sector.”

The real estate market in
India is worth about $12 billion and is growing at about 30 percent a year, Ernst & Young said in a report last month commissioned by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Rising incomes, easy financing and population growth are driving demand for housing and luring overseas investors.

“The appetite for real estate IPOs will be there,” K.K. Mital, chief investment officer at Escorts Asset Management in
New Delhi said a phone interview Friday. “The young work force is looking for real estate investment, and the financing is available, the banking system is supporting this growth.”

Jhaveri said that venture capitalists and overseas investors were poised to invest over $5 billion in the Indian real estate sector, without providing more details. “People are seeking more clarity” on possible changes to property regulations before investing, he said.

His forecast takes into account the possibility that
India could allow real estate investment trusts, or REITs, to invest in the nation’s property industry. Still, of the 50 real estate related IPOs that he predicted would take place in the next year, he only expected a “small” number to be REITs.

In the past year,
India had eight initial share offerings by engineering and construction companies, which raised $478 million, according to Bloomberg data. That compares with the six initial public offerings raising $304 million in the previous 12-month period.

Indian billionaire Kushal Pal Singh’s real estate company, DLF Universal, is seeking to revive the biggest Indian share sale once regulators decide on a complaint by shareholders. The New Delhi-based company plans to submit offer documents to regulators, paving the way for an offering by early December, Saurabh Chawla, the finance vice president of DLF, said in a phone interview Friday.

India is short of 20 million housing units, according to a study by Housing Development Finance. That shortage will get worse, according to UBS analysts, citing the growing population and increasing affluence.
Asia’s fourth-largest economy grew 8.9 percent in the three months to June from a year earlier.

“Although the residential financing market space in India is about Rs 1 lakh crore and the market in Kolkata is around Rs 2,000 crore, it is expected to grow at a much faster rate compared to the other metros in the next 2-3 years,” said Sunil Rohokale, the managing director and CEO of ICICI Home Finance.

Saturation in other markets will give a boost to the market in Kolkata. Mumbai leads the residential financing market with a share of 10 per cent, followed by
Delhi and Bangalore with 9 and 7 per cent respectively.

“Slowly, but steadily, the other markets are getting saturated and the Kolkata market, being relatively cheaper, provides a better alternative,” he added.

Rohokale also attributed Kolkata’s rise to the state government’s proactive role in promoting lower and middle income segments, where affordable housing is possible.

“The West Bengal government is looking for inclusive growth and by providing incentives, by encouraging public private partnerships not only in the higher-end segment like commercial buildings but also in the middle and lower segments as well, which consist of mostly small housing projects,” he said while talking to Business Standard on the sidelines of an interactive session at Credai Bengal Real Estate Conclave.

It would be in the affordable housing segment, where most of the private investment is going to come, feels Rohokale.

In the last two years, the real estate market attracted an investment of around $7 billion, including $3 billion from equity. Of this, the share of Kolkata was around 3.5 per cent, amounting to $150 million.

“There is a huge demand in Kolkata for affordable housing flats, which range between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, but the developers are most active in the premium-range flats between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. Hence with the state government providing incentives, affordable housing space looks most attractive in Kolkata,” Rohokale added.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com

The report goes on to state that the next best bet for investors in the NCR is Manesar. Emerging as one of the biggest industrial hubs around NCR, Manesar has become an attractive investment destination. In fact, it is likely to be one of the biggest growth centres in the NCR. The report further states that it has all the ingredients of being the next commercial hub, after Gurgaon, with better infrastructural facilities and tax incentives. It is also likely to emerge as one of India’s major outsourcing hubs, with corporate entities like Honda, Baxter, Suzuki, Stanley, Mitsubishi, Nippon,
Toyota and Maruti Udyog setting up shop here. Naturally, such massive corporate and industrial activities not only triggered the need for office space, but have also created a huge demand for residential properties from people who are employed here, and also from those likely to be inducted by emerging corporate sectors. 

Ghaziabad, too, has received a major boost due to the Commonwealth Games 2010. There are major hotels with international standards under construction as also huge commercial malls, with some having hotels on top floors. These will be operational in areas like Indirapuram, Vaishali, Kaushabhi and Vasundhra. 

The Metros is another development here and has certainly resulted in the appreciation of land prices along the route. According to the report, in the last nine months, residential property prices in Indirapuram have gone up from an average of Rs.1600 per sq.ft. to over Rs. 3200 per sq.ft. This clearly depicts
Ghaziabad’s increasing popularity, which will certainly give boost to the commercial segment once residential properties are developed and inhabited. 

Benefiting from Metro extensions, expressways, wider highways and release of land parcels,
Delhi and NCR promise to be sought after destinations

Disclosing this at the Assocham conference on ‘Urban Land Markets & Finances’ held in Delhi this week, Union Minster for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy also announced that the proposed authority would work as a role model for other states to follow, particularly in view of growing real estate activities throughout the country so that the consumers get a fair deal.

OFFICE STAKES IN BIG METROS 

Decline in the growth of office rental values in
South Delhi is attributed to new supply that has entered the market this year. On the other hand, rental values in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla complex rose by 22% from January to September 2007, marking it the fast emerging new central business district of the metropolis

Land will also fail to appreciate if it is in danger of being taken over by the government for its own purposes. 

No matter how good a plot looks, or how reasonable the price, one must check everything. The price may be low because certain legal sanctions or complications incurred during a previous ownership have rendered it a non-selling proposition.  

Other factors to investigate. 

Ø      Availability of ground water

Ø      Soundness of electrical supply in the area

Ø      In case of residential land – avail ability of schools, colleges, medical facilities, domestic markets, public transport, etc.

Ø      In case of commercial land – avail ability of retail outlets, post offices/couriers, telephone connectivity, other reputable commercial establishments in the vicinity.

Ø      Availability or non-availability of the above will substantially influence the property’s overall appreciation potential. Investment in commercial or residential land in an established growth sector with all of the above factors in place definitely makes a lot of sense.

Where are the best land deals today? 

The most sought-after land for sale in
India is in the metros. However, due to the extreme supply crunch, the rates are invariably completely out of reach for any but corporate or institutional investors. As a rule, the only ‘good deals’ in central Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Kolkata comprise of purchasing available plots at exorbitant prices and then cashing in on their immense appreciation potential.

For smaller investors, buying a plot in an upcoming suburb or a potential-rich Tier II or Tier III town is a far more feasible option – especially in context with larger plots, which are out of question in metros.

                                                                                           Courtesy: HT, 12^th Nov. 2007

Investment horizon  

Purchasing land as an investment usually pays off only as a long-term venture, with a minimum holding period of between 5-10 years.

Safe purchase parameters

In general terms, it is definitely not safe to buy land without thoroughly acquainting oneself with the local market, and the legislative dynamics of that area.

Buying land situated near a housing scheme calls for extreme caution, since one may inherit the covenants and restrictions applicable to the housing scheme.

Ø      While buying a plot as an investment, one should ensure reason able proximity to key roads and access to water and electricity.

Ø      One should also acquaint oneself with the development plan for the chosen area – this can be established from the local administrative body.

Ø      One should be very clear about what taxes one will incur and whether the plot has a permit for raising residential/commercial structures. Raising large structures is not an option on agricultural plots, which are cheaper and have a lower tax burden. If the plot is the agricultural kind, one should establish whether its status can be converted for construction purposes later on, or not.

Ø      Before purchasing land, one need to investigate possible multiple ownership issue and zoning restrictions such as CRZ, NDZ etc.

New Delhi, the national capital of India is one of the prime cities in the country which has witnessed the economic development plans being drafted in the Parliament house to the effects that economic growth has spurred on the real estate and other service sectors in
Delhi. Incorporated as one of top three investors’ choices for real estate investment in Asia,
New Delhi continues to be one of the most competent and healthy competitor amongst the property markets across the region. And as investors and buyers make a beeline for acquiring the best chunk of real estate market, the finance sector in
India has evolved as the possible gainers.

The banks in India which initially did brisk business with their saving schemes has now opted for the housing finance section as a more profitable business, since the real estate scenario in Delhi shows an upswing. The demand for properties in New Delhi touches new heights arising mainly due to the requirement for a large number of residential and commercial spaces as a large number of investors are seeking investments in the Delhi region or the nearby NCR areas. Delhi evolving as a popular investment destination for investors in the residential and the retail sector has lead to escalation of property prices many-fold and are still on the rise thereby making investment in the capital city of
India a deal worth to be clinched.

But the bulk of disposable income generated by the employees in the corporate sector along with easy funding by every finance company in
India has of late made property investments a not so formidable task. Easy loan facilities and a horde of finance companies offering some of the best deals and dipping interest rates have also been responsible for increase in
Delhi real estate investments. Almost all the major financial institutions like ICICI, HDFC, IDBI and HSBC, to name a few have successful operational bases in the city making housing loans a competitive business. This competitive market has in some ways being beneficial to the consumers and if the trend continues, the real estate scenario in
Delhi is bound to offer investment opportunities for buyers and developers who would want to capitalize on this growing opportunity. And if industry experts are to be believed, New Delhi is yet to see major transformation in the real estate market as the city gears up to remodel itself for the 2010 Commonwealth Games shedding its reputation of being a ‘walled city’ to a ‘World City’ of the future.  

DLF Ltd,
India’s largest real estate development company, has emerged as the highest bidder for establishing the Tidel-II, the second IT/ITes SEZ in Chennai. 

DLF made a bid of Rs 26.07 crore an acre for the 26-acre property at Taramani and take the total bid amount to Rs 660 crore in the closed bids called by Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation. DLF bid at a rate of Rs 5,757 per sq ft for the property including 11.32 lakh sq ft. Other real estate developers bidding for the property were Ascendas, RMZ Corp, and Prestige Group. The property is located adjacent to

American
International
School off the IT corridor. 

The land will see over 2.6 million sq ft built up space. There was a stiffer competition among the developers as the project is likely to be one of the significant landmarks in Chennai. Since monthly IT space lease rents in the area hover around Rs 47-50 per sq ft, the bid is believed to be an attractive investment. It could be well covered under the project with cost including the land costing Rs 1,500 crore. 

The project is likely to strengthen Chennai’s position as a centre for IT/ITes companies. With a high proliferation of IT companies in Chennai, demand for commercial properties or rental properties are likely to increase.

The demand for office space in Mumbai has seen the rentals sky-rocketing in recent months with the retail banking division of Citibank taking up space in Nariman Point at Rs 550 per sq ft per month. 

According to a survey report by DTZ, a global property consultancy firm, total absorption of commercial space in Mumbai, during the first quarter of 2007, was nearly 0.75 million sq ft. 

“There is an increased demand for office space by IT/ ITES and BPOs in Mumbai. We have taken a decision to convert all the smaller malls, which are below three lakh sq ft , into commercial buildings,” Mr Hemant Shah, Chairman, Akruti Nirman Ltd, told Business Line. 

“Size is a critical factor for the success of any retail project. We feel that smaller malls do not have a longer life span. Our focus is to create destination malls of about three to five lakh sq ft,” he added. Another Mumbai-based developer Ajmera Builders seems to have followed a similar model. According to industry sources, the company has converted its Citi Mall into a mixed-use project with companies setting up offices within the mall premise. 

Mr Chhotalal S. Ajmera, Chairman and Managing Director, Ajmera Builders, was not available for comment. According to Mr Susil Dungarwal, a Mumbai-based retail and realty analyst, “The cost of reinventing an unsuccessful mall is high. Besides, success is also not guaranteed. 

“Hence, transforming retail malls into commercial buildings is one of the ways out. According to the DTZ report, “rentals have been following steady growth across most micro-markets in Mumbai. With IT/ITES companies setting up base in Navi Mumbai due to attractive HR catchments, rental values in that region have now touched almost Rs 60 per sq ft per month.”

This is way above the margin of Rs 1,100 per sq ft that analysts are predicting. A report brought out by Centrum Broking Pvt Ltd on Tuesday states that based on Puravankara’s future realisation of Rs 3,200, and given that construction cost and other expenses remain the same, the company would be making around Rs 1,100 per sq ft. 

However, Ravi Ramu, Puravankara’s director, finance, says Centrum’s estimate is understated. “Based on the average sales price, construction cost and land prices, we expect to make Rs 2,000-2,500 per sq ft on each of our land banks,” forecasts Ramu. So what is guiding Ramu’s optimistic projection? 

He says that Puravankara has an edge over other developers because of its land cost competitiveness, which is just Rs 97 per sq ft. Its rivals like DLF and Unitech, which are now trying to enter the South Indian real estate market, have an average land cost of Rs 252 per sq ft and Rs 169 per sq ft respectively. 

Other developers like Sobha (Rs 221 per sq ft), Parsvnath (Rs 256 per sq ft), HDIL (Rs 127 per sq ft) and Omaxe (Rs 146 per sq ft) also have an average land cost higher than Puravankara. The other reason why the south-based builder has set high margin target is its complete reliance on inhouse construction and direct sales force, which helps its save on contractor’s margins. 

“When you outsource your contracting job, you sacrifice on that margin. As we have inhouse resources to execute a project from conceptualisation to completion, it enhances our margins,” says Ramu. 

The company would also be increasing its reliance on technology rather than labour. This is expected to save it time, labour and cost, which in turn would improve its revenues in the medium to long term. 

“We have already initiated talks with North Ireland-based Mivan Group’s Malaysian subsidiary for importing construction equipment. We are trying to bring in more mechanisation in our project development so that shortage of labour does not affect us negatively,” says Ramu. 

Puravankara’s margins would also be boosted through its diversification into commercial space. Currently, its revenue mix consists of 98% residentialand 2% commercial. This would change to 72% residential and 28% commercial by 2010. 

This is something that is being looked upon as a positive by analysts. “We are excited about the shift in focus towards the commercial office vertical, which has relatively higher yield per acre as compared middle income housing vertical,” say Siddharth Bothra and Satyam Agarwal of Motilal Oswal in their report dated September 17. 

The duo has expressed concern over the builder’s concentration of land bank (72%) in
Bangalore. Analysts also feel that Puravanakara’s current construction cost at Rs 1,350 per sq ft is a bit on the higher side compared to normal cost of Rs 1,200-1,250 per sq ft.