Editor’s Note March 2018

Realty & More’s last issue of the financial year 2017-18 has plenty in store for you. For the real estate sector, FY18 has unarguably been the most eventful. With the landmark RERA Act coming in force, the sector has started showing signs of a massive overhaul. It is widely expected that going forward this will bring huge changes in the way the sector has been working so far. The fiscal also witnessed implementation of a historic taxation reform in the form of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act.
Moving on to what all is in store for you in this issue, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri says slums have to developed on ‘as is where is’ basis. Speaking at a Ficci conference on PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) and ‘Housing for All’, the minister said the PMAY was not just on track, “it’s roaring”. A Ficci-CBRE White Paper released on the occasion suggested measures to bridge the housing gap. Along with releasing land parcels, the paper emphasised on the need to provide connectivity and social infrastructure for affordable housing. Team R&M presents a detailed report on the event and the White Paper in our cover story this month.
Smart Cities cannot be created unless we have drastic policy changes, says Assotech Realty Managing Director Neeraj Gulati. According to Gulati, implementation of Smart Cities is the job of Town Planners, not administrators. Speaking exclusively to Realty & More, he mooted a unique idea of creating a separate service for urban planning like IAS, IFS, etc. Read the text of this candid conversation in our Interview section.
ANAROCK Chairman Anuj Puri presents an entirely new aspect of consolidation. Contrary to the general perception of consolidation that all is going down the drain, Puri says the process actually helps in catalysing a much stronger comeback. In his write-up, Puri explains how 2018 will be defined as a year of massive change for real estate in the country.
A report by ANAROCK says though new launches declined in the first month of 2018, there was a massive surge in absorption levels of housing units. The absorption of homes across the top seven Indian cities doubled from 250 units in December 2017 to 500 units in January 2018. In January 2018, sale of units rose in NCR by a whopping 28 per cent, MMR and Hyderabad witnessed a hike of 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, while Pune and Chennai saw a marginal rise of 4 per cent and 3 per cent respectively.
Solar energy usage in the areas of atmospheric pollution, waste disposal, management and its treatment can prove to be a game-changer in the near future, says Harjeet Singh Sahni, CMD, SSG Infratech. In an exclusive chat with Realty & more, Sahni says since it is sustainable and renewable, solar energy can successfully minimise the undesirable impact of other forms of energy on environment.
Technology has emerged as the biggest change architect driving not only the way working styles have evolved but also how the workforce needs to innovate, says Sukhdeep Aurora, Chief People Officer – ANAROCK Property Consultants. As the oft-repeated saying goes – change is the only constant. Aurora presents interesting facts and analysis on the importance of technology in today’s business environment.
Lack of single-window clearance is a problem faced not only by the developer community, it is also the most pressing issue faced by transformer manufacturers, says Servokon MD Haji Kamruddin in an interview with Realty & More. Obtaining dual certification of BEE and BIS from two different authorities is a matter of grave concern, he says.
Lastly, of course, the March 2018 issue has your regular reads: property rates pan-India, new residential launches, Vastu tips, this month on dormitory, and your monthly horoscope by Bejan Daruwala.
Enjoy reading!