Commercial real estate sector is in boom in India. In the last fifteen years, post liberalization of the economy, Indian real estate business has taken an upturn and is expected to grow from the current USD 14 billion to a USD 102 billion in the next 10 years. This growth can be attributed to favorable demographics, increasing purchasing power, existence of customer friendly banks & housing finance companies, professionalism in real estate and favorable reforms initiated by the government to attract global investors
Driving Forces
• Rise in disposable income and growing middle class, increasing the demand for quality residential real estate and real estate as an investment option.
• Entry of professional players equipped with expertise in real estate development.
• Relaxation of legal rulings and processes by the governing bodies encouraging investments in real estate.
• Improvement in infrastructure facilities.
Categorization
The demand for new office space in India has grown from an estimated 3.9 million sq. ft in 1998 to over 16 million sq. ft in 2004-05. 70% of the demand for office space in India is driven by over 7,000 Indian IT and ITES firms and 15% by financial service providers and the pharmaceutical sector. In 2005 alone, IT/ITES sector absorbed a total of approx 30 million sq. ft and is estimated to generate a demand of 150 million sq. ft. of space across major cities by 2010. This data clearly demonstrates the growth of the real estate sector in the country.
Real Estate Investment Banking
Real Estate Investment Banking is an approach to real estate financing – providing the client a host of services including the structuring of real estate projects, legal advice, operative management of real estate projects and support in marketing properties. The banking focus in Real Estate Investment Banking is on structured financing products and structuring of entire portfolios. Extending on similar lines is the importance of syndication that forms the base line of larger-sized transactions.
Real Estate and Financing Trends in India
Securitization and CMBS From the perspective of companies who wants to sell off assets, securitization schemes provide a greater diversity of alternatives to liquidate real estate. Securitization is primarily used by the corporate houses to convert the corporate real estate to commercial real estate.
Risks involved in the Real Estate Investment Market
Liquidity risk The real estate investment market is still in its infant stage. The time required for liquidity of real estate property can vary depending on the quality and location of the property.
Regulatory risks In terms of property ownership, permission from the Reserve Bank of India is required for foreign investors. For capital repatriation, investors need to apply for approval from the RBI, and foreign direct investment is limited to a limited set of opportunities (e.g. townships). The REMFs work within the SEBI framework. Being a developing and growing sector, the rules, regulations and legalities demonstrate frequent changes, making it seem as a cumbersome investment option to the investors.
Property market transparency risk The Indian property market has low transparency when compared to the more mature and developed real estate markets. Although market transparency has improved, reliable and consistent information on the Indian property market is still not easily available. There are also more professional due diligence and valuation institutions needed. This holds true even for the Tier I cities.
Macroeconomic risks Interest rates, inflation and exchange rate risks are amongst the important macroeconomic indicators and have shown decreased volatility. The provision of facilities, is in many regions, still inadequate (education, transport infrastructure). These risk factors are not likely to disappear in the near future, impeding the development of the real estate sector.
Conclusion
The Indian real estate sector promises to be a lucrative destination for foreign investors into the country. The Indian realty sector, if channelized properly, could catapult the growth of several other sectors in India through its backward and forward linkages. However, there are potential constraints for domestic as well as foreign investments in India. Absence of a single regulator to monitor business practices prevailing in Indian real estate market is perceived to be a risk factor by investors. The SEZ guidelines which are issued by the Commerce Ministry are constantly modified, creating uncertainty. Since the liberalization of FDI norms, significant foreign investments have flown into real estate; but availability of suitable exit options for such investments is still constrained.