Demonetisation to strengthen the real estate sector – CREDAI Hyderabad

Source: Siasat 29.11.16

Hyderabad: 29th November, 2016: Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) Hyderabad today announced that the real estate industry fully supports the decision of the government to demonetise currency notes. The Credai Hyderabad members welcomed the Union government's decision to put the halt on black money.

Almost 95% of the Hyderabad market consists of mid segment housing, whose pricing ranges from Rs. 25 lakhs to Rs. one crore. The buyers in this segment are mostly employees, whose income ranges from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 2 lakhs. They essentially pay the housing instalments from their savings and the bank loans, they get from Banks. Therefore, there is hardly any cash component in their transactions with the developers. In the absence of cash component, the demonetisation has no effect on prices of residential housing or other housing. Similarly, over the years the Hyderabad real estate developers have been accessing the necessary capital from the Banks. Almost all the real estate developers, who are the members of CREDAI and who contribute 85% of the Hyderabad real estate market, undertake real estate development on the lands taken from the landowners under a joint development agreement. Therefore, there is no financial transaction between the developer and the landowner, much less the cash transaction.

Demonetisation is likely to improve government tax collection by broadening the tax base and enabling them to take up development and infrastructure projects on a war footing and boost the growth of the economy. The government would also be in a position to fast track the initiatives such as AMRUT, Housing for All by 2022, Development of 100 Smart Cities etc. leading to significant job creation. This influx of money into the monetary system will also put more money into the pocket of home purchasers through lower tax burden and incentives for home ownership.

The Real Estate sector will witness a major change in 2017 with the introduction of RERA Bill in May 2017 and implementation of the GST regime in April 2017. In view of the several requirements of the RERA Act, the real estate developers will be constrained to take up smaller and limited number of real estate projects. In view of this change the supply of real estate products will come down, while the demand continues to increase in Hyderabad. The gap between demand and supply will increase and consequently the availability of housing units will be less. Therefore, the prices of housing units will increase, once the RERA comes into effect from May 2017 and consequently the prices will tend to increase.

The GST is likely to be introduced from April 2017. Presently the service tax paid on services and others are given a set off against the service tax payable by the developers/homebuyer. Thereby, there is less incidence of service tax on the cost of the housing unit. This facility will not be available once the GST regime comes into effect from April 2017. Consequently, there will be more incidence of service tax on the cost of the project. Further with the introduction of GST the rate service tax will be higher at 18%, compared to 5.5%, which is now applicable. Thus, the real estate prices will increase as a consequence of introduction of GST from April 2017.

According to Mr. S Ram Reddy, President, CREDAI Hyderabad, "We believe that the demonetisation is an initiative to cleanse the economy and make it growth focused. It will be good for the overall economy as the unaccounted cash transactions would also become a part of the mainline economy and provide government more tax inflows enabling them to take up mega infrastructure projects and steer the growth. The banking and financial system will also be plush with funds to provide credit to the industry at a lower rate of interest, thereby spurring the economic growth and creating more jobs. This will give a major impetus to the real estate sector, as more jobs and lower interest rates are likely to encourage end users to purchase their dream homes."

He further added that, "Hyderabad real estate market is driven by the end user demand. The present prices for real estate in Hyderabad are the lowest amongst all the metros with no influence of any speculative operators. The funding by the home buyers is mainly through loans from banks and financial institutions which are all regulated entities. As such, cash deals are not a part of the real estate transactions by our members. All organized developers adhere to strict business principles and maintain complete transparency in the transactions. We have been sourcing funds from banks and Financial Institutions and have not been dealing in cash transactions over the last 5 to 6 years Therefore there will not be any impact on the real estate sector and the prices will remain stable. The much awaited RERA bill will come inforce from May 2017. The effect of RERA is going to be that there would be short supply of housing stock in the market and as a consequence of this shortage, the real estate prices will go up. Also, the effect of a GST coming into effect from April 2017 is that the prices would increase on account of non-availability of a service tax set off as well as increase in the rate of tax rate. So we are of the opinion that for Hyderabad, the demonetisation will have no impact on current real estate prices, but with the introduction of GST & RERA bill the prices will go up. So the home buyers in the city should not delay and purchase a property now."

According to Mr. P Ramakrishna Rao, General Secretary, CREDAI Hyderabad" The real estate sector is in a revival mode and already the implementation of RERA has brought a lot of confidence amongst the buyers. The demonetisation is a positive move. With this, banks are going to have additional funds hence, a fall in interest rates is expected. An early sign is seen with country's largest lender State Bank of India cutting its deposit rates by 1.75 per cent. This would be followed by reduction in lending rates and thereby bring down the EMI for the ultimate consumers and improving their eligibility. This will help drive growth and development in the sector. The Real Estate sector is a significant contributor to the national GDP (approx. 7% ) and is a second largest employment generator and will continue to be the main driving force for the growth of the economy."

He further added that, "The Secondary markets, where there is a prevalence of cash transactions might be affected as unaccounted cash payment would no longer take place leading to some dips in the sale process for assets that are sold or purchased in the short term. However, with the progress of time, it will not be surprising to see prices go up as sellers come to terms with the fact that capital gains tax has to be paid on monies, Sellers are likely to factor that into the sale price. Overall we can expect to witness positive reforms and sales growth in the housing sector. This is a win-win situation for developers and home buyers".

The move will have overall positive impacts on the sector. It will bring much needed efficiency, Transparency & affordability which are integral premises for a welfare state and full fledged development of the economy.

REAL ESTATE WILL BOOM AGAIN

Last few days there has been a surge of messages from "Whatsapp Economists" with the simple theme that real estate prices will fall drastically due to Demonetisation ie ban on Rs 500/Rs 1000 notes.

Here's a few Point Summary of what actual experts with business and economic logic say

1. Demonetization will flood the Banking system with funds driving down both interest rates on Deposits and Loans

2. If Interest rate on FD is just 5-6 % interest on Home Loans will come down to 7-8 % (since Banks keep an 2-3 per cent margin).

3. Historically at such Low interest rates Real Estate industry gets a massive boost as property becomes attractive to everyone: Buyers, Investors and even that invisible category called Businessmen/Professionals.

4. Even when prices are same, Apartments come within reach of Buyers due to lower EMI on Loans due to lower interest rate

5. Investors find Investing in property more attractive than earning a paltry 5-6 % on Bank Deposit as simply buying and renting out gives them more return. PLUS they create an asset and earn appreciation over a period of time PLUS they get income tax deductions

6. Shopkeepers, Retail Malls, Corporate Houses and even professionals like Doctors, Consultants, CA's jump in to buy property as they want preferred location and once that's gone they may never get that chance again. So, they buy at the first available opportunity instead of waiting for prices to fall.

7. Demonetization will see the most money flowing in banking system from people in the unorganized / small scale sector: Farmers, Traders, Tailors, Hoteliers, Beauty shop owners, Tuition classes, small contractors, House Maids, Drivers, Security Guards etc. Crores of new people entering Banking system means that they will also be eligible to get bank loans and fulfill their dream of owning a house

8. Government will have money to invest in infrastructure as Banks will deploy lakhs of crores in Government Securities. With a few lakh crore at its disposal, Government can only boost funding to infrastructure schemes such as Smart City Mission, Swacch Bharat Mission, Housing for All etc which will inturn boost real estate too and make foreign investors invest in a fast developing country.

9. New Airport in town, better connectivity to National/State Highway, Upgradation in City Transport all lead to increase in demand and prices of properties in the city's

10. It is interesting to note that real estate prices show slower rise in countries which have a fully ready infrastructure like USA, UK, Japan etc. Whereas in a developing countries like India, there is a vast difference in prices in a City before and after creation of Infrastructure

Conclusion:

In the final analysis, recent developments such as passing of Real Estate Regulation Act, Demonetization, Goods and Service Tax etc combined with Government focus on infrastructure will only serve as positive factors for growth of Real Estate industry

Factors of Real Estate Industry which get missed due to one-sided picture created by social media:

1. Real Estate Industry contributed 7 % to India's GDP.

2. Second Highest employer after Agriculture.

3. Real Estate Industry supports more than 140 allied industries from large ones such as Steel, Cement and Transport to cottage ones such as bamboo and rope making.

4. Real Estate Industry caters to the basic need of Shelter for every citizen.

5. As per Government of India, more than 90 per cent of demand for Real Estate Is in affordable and mid range category.

6. In era of mechanisation and automation, Real Estate is the only Industry which still continues to provide regular employment to millions of daily wage earners.

7. One of the only Industries which contributes large share of taxes at all levels of Government: Local Government ie Muncipal Corporations etc (Building permission charges), State Goverment (VAT and Stamp Duty), Central Government (Service Tax and Income Tax).

8. Investments such as equity shares, Commodities like Gold, Silver, Mutual Fund etc have seen large ups and downs. Real Estate is the only asset class which has given stable and constant one way growth over last several decades.

9. Real Estate has both value in use and value as investment.

10. Real Estate investment is the best investment from a very long term angle as taxation happens only on sale and in case of reinvestment 100 pc tax can be saved.

11. With Indian economy becoming increasingly urbanized, it is expected that more than 50 percent of India's population will live in cities by next decade. This massive change in demographic and economic profile of the country will give big boost to real estate over.

Omprakash : +919912043000

Hyderabad, TS, India

Telangana Information Technology Association inaugurates incubation centre in Hyderabad

Source: Indian Express, PTI ., Dt: 24.11.2016

 

Telangana Information Technology Association (TITA) inaugurated Telangana Innovation and Incubation Center (TIIC) in Hyderabad on Thursday. The inauguration of the first Techno Rural Startup Incubation Center took place at Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies IIIT Basar campus, a release said.

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The Vice Chancellor Sirasani Sathyanarayana and TITA Global President Sundeep Kumar Makthala together inaugurated the centre.

"The TIIC will enable and support all the students of IIIT and youth around the village to transform their potential ideas into startups, it will support in the form of mentoring, funding, ideation, and knowledge support," TITA said.

IIIT Basara and TITA had signed an MoU to support creating the startup ecosystem in IIIT Basar, entrepreneurship with business plans along with the prototype infrastructure.

Japan-based SafeTraceHub, multimedia firm Prism Multimedia, and the US-based Adsidious have shown interest and given consent to extend their services in TIIC.

IIIT and TITA, through TIIC, would be working partners in major projects undertaken by the Government of Telangana as well as the Central government.

"TITA is planning to establish Telangana Incubation and Innovation Centers in all the universities and colleges across Telangana to encourage new startups at college level," TITA President Makthala said.

"The mandate of TIIC would be to generate a free flow of ideas and their implementation, in both directions of the constituent partners – RGUKT and TITA. The TIIC would help students to generate startups resulting from selected ideas. These start-ups would lead to generating more employment opportunities for the rural youth of the region," it said.

While the technical and legal support for the TIIC would be provided by TITA and its recognised channel partners, Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT) would provide the requisite infrastructure support – like working spaces, electricity, water, networking, bandwidth etc.

"The work at TIIC would be selectively permitted to be utilised as a part of the mandatory project work for students, under the guidance of recognised faculty of RGUKT and TITA experts. It was also agreed that a steering committee would be set up comprising of members from TITA as well as faculty of RGUKT…," said IIIT Basar Vice Chancellor Sathyanarayana.

In TIIC, start-ups can be established in digital media, IOT, solar energy, smart cities, telecom services, mobile technologies, cloud analytics, healthcare, robotics, learning management system, artificial intelligence etc, it added.

City Spotlight: Investing in India’s Hyderabad

Source: November 11, 2016  India Briefing

By Melissa Cyrill

Hyderabad is the capital of the south Indian state of Telengana and the de jure capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Telengana is the newest of the 29 states in India and was awarded independent statehood from the larger state of Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014. Hyderabad will be joint capital for both states for a period of ten years till 2025.

Located along the banks of the Musi River and covering an area of 250 square miles, Hyderabad is home to a population of about 6.7 million and a metropolitan population of about 7.75 million, making it the fourth most populous city and sixth most populous urban agglomeration in India. At an average altitude of 1,778 feet, much of the city is situated on hilly terrain around artificial lakes.

Hyderabad was established in 1591 under the Qutub Shahi dynasty and subsequently expanded by the Nizam rulers who followed. The city has a rich historical legacy that is reflected in its arts and architecture, forts, museums, cuisine, and traditional bazaars (markets), making for a thriving tourist economy. Adding to the city's cultural appeal is the fact that it is the center of the Telegu film industry, which is India's second-largest producer of motion pictures. Hyderabad is also historically known to be a pearl and diamond trading center and continues to enjoy the moniker 'City of Pearls'.

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Administration

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), formed in 2008, merged the following entities – Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Hyderabad Airport Development, Authority (HADA), Cyber Abad Development Authority (CDA), and Buddha Poornima Project Authority (BPPA). HMDA coordinates the development activities of the municipal corporations, municipalities, and other local authorities like the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board. It also manages the Hyderabad Management Development Fund, which allocates finances for the plans and programs of local bodies undertaking the development of amenities and infrastructure facilities.

Education

Hyderabad's educational infrastructure attracts students from all over India and internationally (especially students from Africa and the Middle East). The city hosts two central universities, three deemed universities, and six state universities – Osmania University; University of Hyderabad; Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad; International Institute of Information Technology; Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad; Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad; Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani), Hyderabad. Other institutions include the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, the Institute of Public Enterprise, and the National Academy of Legal Studies & Research (NALSAR). Hyderabad is also home to the Maulana Azad National Urdu University and the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University.

Economy

In 2012, Hyderabad became the fifth largest contributor to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) with a total output of US$ 74 billion. A huge push towards industrialization during the twentieth century led to major Indian manufacturing, research, and financial institutions getting established in Hyderabad, such as the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), the National Geophysical Research Institute, and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology. The city's strategic location in south central India additionally resulted in the establishment of pharmaceutical and electronic industries in the 1970s, and subsequently, the development of the information technology and biotechnology sectors.

Key Sectors for Investment

IT Sector:

Hyderabad's IT sector is renowned for being the world's leading center for information technology. Hyderabad's IT sector includes IT-enabled services (ITeS), business process outsourcing (BPO), entertainment industries, and financial services. Collectively, the city's IT and ITeS exports crossed US$ 11.13 billion (Rs 750 billion) in 2015-2016, growing by 13.26 percent over the previous financial year. 22 percent of NASSCOM's (National Association of Software and Services Companies) total membership is based here.

Major multinational IT, ITeS, and financial services firms located in Hyderabad are Microsoft (the largest R&D campus outside the U.S.), Google, Amazon, IBM, Oracle Corporation, Yahoo!, Dell, Texas Instruments, Hewlett-Packard, Facebook, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Apple, Deloitte, Franklin Templeton Investments, GE Capital, Accenture, HSBC, S&P Capital IQ, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Capgemini, and Genpact, among many others.

The Hyderabad Information Technology and Engineering Consultancy City (HITECH City), also known as the technology township Cyberabad, is spread across 200 acres of land – covering the suburbs of Madhapur, Gachibowli, Kondapur, Manikonda, and Nanakramguda. This township is one of the premier IT, Engineering, Health Informatics, and Bioinformatics hubs situated in the country. Newer investments in Hyderabad's digital and related economic infrastructure includes the upcoming IT investment region jointly being developed by the Government of India and Government of Telangana – along the model of the Shenzhen SEZ in China – called the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR). ITIR aims to attract the IT, ITeS, and electronic hardware manufacturing sectors, and will be spread over 50,000 acres in and around Hyderabad. It will include SEZs, industrial parks, free trade zones, warehousing zones, and export-oriented units in three separate corridors.

Bio-pharmaceutical Industry:

Hyderabad is a key pharmaceutical and biotechnology hub and is called the country's pharmaceutical capital and "Genome Valley of India". The incorporation of the Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL) in 1961 provided the foundation of the city's pharmaceutical industry, and later in the 1990's the industry's expansion was facilitated by the formation of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and National Institute of Nutrition along with other regional institutions in the bio-pharma sector. In 2008-2009, the bio-pharma industry's exports reached US$ 3.1 billion. Top bio-pharma companies based in Hyderabad include Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd., Divis Laboratories Ltd., Granules India Ltd., Suven Life Sciences Ltd., BioGenex Life Sciences Pvt Ltd., and Lonza India Pvt Ltd., among others.

The Genome Valley, 'Fab City', and the 'Nano Technology Park' offer the infrastructure for Hyderabad's bio-technology sector, which has attracted regional companies and MNCs to set up their offices, warehouses, and establish R&D centers. The Genome Valley itself (spread across 231.66 square miles) has developed as a cluster for biomedical research, training, and manufacturing. The Genome Valley covers the suburbs of Shamirpet, Medchal, Uppal, Patancheru, Jeedimetla, Gachibowli, and Keesara. It also includes the IKP Knowledge Park (200 acres) and the Alexandria Knowledge Park (300 acres), which provide innovation corridors (for laboratories), multi-tenanted research buildings, incubation facilities, build-to-suit blocks, and industrial plots.

Real Estate Sector:

The commercial market structure of Hyderabad is defined into 4 sectors—The Central Business Districts (CBD), the sub-central business centers, the neighborhood business centers, and local business centers. According to a 2016 report by ICICI Property Services, Hyderabad is witnessing fast-paced growth in residential real estate and an increase in off-take of office supply space. There has also been 'a rise in the consumption of apartments in multi-storeyed buildings by buyers moving into Hyderabad from other cities', due in most part to a sizable migrant population working as IT/ITeS professionals. The report's survey notes that the maximum supply and absorption in Hyderabad's residential market falls in the price bracket of US$ 29.68 (Rs 2000) per sq. ft. to US$ 44.52 (Rs 3000) per sq. ft. primarily comprising of units developed by local developers, with the most preferred segment being three bedrooms-one hall-one kitchen (or 3 BHK) apartments. The suburbs of Gachibowli, Kukatpally, HITEC City, and Madhapur have witnessed the highest activity with the majority of their new real estate projects belonging to the price range of US$ 59,365 (Rs 4 million) to US$ 74,206 (Rs 6 million).

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Doing Business in Hyderabad

The World Bank ranks Hyderabad second after Ludhiana in its estimation of the top 17 cities in India for ease of doing business in 2016; this performance has been consistent since 2009. The latest ranking is complemented by the state-wise assessment spearheaded by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), which puts Telengana and Andhra Pradesh states jointly at the top. Hyderabad's ease of doing business ranking is based on parameters such as starting a business, dealing with construction permits, registering property, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. These parameters also figure in the World Bank's annual Doing Business Report, although India's ranking quantifies only New Delhi and Mumbai's ease of doing business scores.

Observations

Hyderabad is both a historically and culturally vibrant city as well as the beneficiary of an early industrialized landscape and sophisticated educational infrastructure. It enjoys easy connectivity by road, rail, and air, which will further be boosted by the upcoming metro rail network. High performing sectors in the city include tourism, IT, bio-pharmaceuticals, electronics manufacturing, education, and real estate. The city's impressive investment prospects are greatly cemented by its pro-business regulatory environment, infrastructure, and economic diversity, which continue to attract the confidence of multinational and regional enterprises.

New Police Stations, Outposts To Be Set Up Along Hyderabad Metro Rail Route

Source: www.sakshipost.com, PTI  Dt: 26.10.2016

Hyderabad: Seventeen police stations and 48 outposts have been proposed along the Hyderabad Metro Rail Corridor here with state-of-the-art equipment and gadgets to ensure safety and security of people.

Decision in this regard was taken on Tuesday at a meeting, wherein Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma reviewed the security arrangements for the Metro Rail Project. The meeting was attended by senior police and Metro Rail officers.

"All the requirements were discussed threadbare and it was decided to deploy trained manpower for the security of the project. It was proposed to have five 'A' Category Police Stations, 12 'B' Category Police Stations and 48 Outposts along the Metro corridor," an official release said.

The 72-km elevated project, being developed by L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH), will have three corridors and 66 stations. It is the world's largest public-private partnership project (PPP) in the sector

Additional Director General of Police, (Railways and Road Safety) Krishna Prasad, gave a presentation on the security implications of the Metro Rail Project.

Officers who attended the meeting included HMRL Managing Director NVS Reddy, Hyderabad City Commissioner of Police M Mahender Reddy among others.

The 72-km elevated project, being developed by L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH), will have three corridors and 66 stations. It is the world's largest public-private partnership project (PPP) in the sector.

The project was initially scheduled to be completed by July 2017, but delays like changes in alignment, land acquisition and other issues have resulted in the project overshooting the deadline and all the three Metro Rail corridors, including the one passing through the old city would be completed by December 2018, authorities had earlier said.

Recognition for Hyderabad Cycling Project at UN meet

Source: The Hindu   Dt: 10.11.2016

The United Nations Habitat III conference has recognised Hyderabad Cycling Project amongst the 20 best social projects in the world, a cycling club official said on Tuesday. Hyderabad Bicycling Club and All India Bicycling Federation Chairman D.V Manohar and Hyderabad Metro Rail Director NVS Reddy told reporters here that the Hyderabad Cycling Project got this recognition at the conference at Quito, Ecuador. The conference finalised world's urban agenda for the next 20 years — 2016 to 2036.

Manohar, also a board member of World Cycling Alliance, Brussels said it was a matter of great pride for Hyderabad and Telangana. He said HBC stations as first and last mile connectivity for Metro rail will help Hyderabad in reducing pollution. All 63 Metro stations will have two bicycle stations each and there will be 300 bicycle stations in the city. Hyderabad Cycling Project is expected to clock 20 mn cycling trips per annum. "We want to accelerate the project in Hyderabad and replicate it in other cities, to avoid the grave situation being faced by cities like Delhi," Manohar said.IANS

Two stretches of Hyderabad Metro may open next year

Source: ET Realty   Dt:9.11.2016

HYDERABAD: Two stretches of Hyderabad Metro Rail are expected to be thrown open to people in March or June next year.

Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy told reporters on Tuesday that eight km long stretch between Nagole and Mettuguda and 12 km between Miyapur and SR Nagar may commence commercial operations either on 'Ugadi' or June 2, Telangana state formation day.

He said the two stretches in two different corridors were ready for operations.

Asked about the delay in launching the commercial operations, he said opening two small stretches in two different corridors was not considered advisable.

Reddy said some people were deliberately spreading rumours about the project.

The official said 70 percent of the 72 km elevated project had completed. He said they were trying to sort out certain issues related to land with the railways.

Construction major Larsen & Toubro, which is developing the metro project, had last month stated that it remained committed to the project and was making all efforts to complete it expeditiously.

The developer clarified that it is sticking to its deadline of making the project fully operational by December 2018.

As per the concession agreement signed with the then government of united Andhra Pradesh in 2010, the project should have been completed by July 2017.

The concession agreement for Rs 14,132 crore project, said to be the largest metro project in the world in public-private partnership, was signed in September 2010 but the work commenced in July 2012.

LTMRHL in 2011 had achieved financial closure for Rs 16,375 crore - Rs 14,132 crore for the metro rail system and Rs 2,243 crore for the first phase of real estate development.

Admitting in May this year that there has been cost escalation, the company did not share the figures, saying they are "dynamic".

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