A recent report by the Chamber of Indian Industries pointed out that globally real estate is and should always be considered as an income-generating asset. Indeed, real estate is an attractive investment option, as it gives regular returns and also provides capital appreciation. This scenario is presently unfolding in India.
But, those days are gone with the crash of the housing market in the mid 1990s. The higher the rise in real estate prices, the steeper the fall. This was true, especially, in the metros, e.g. Mumbai and New Delhi. The supply increased enormously and the demand remained steady, as prices had gone beyond the realistic levels. This decline in prices stabilised towards the end of the decade as rates became more reasonable and affordable. In the meantime, the housing finance industry started to expand rapidly, making home loans easily available to everyone. Besides the housing loans boosting the market demand, the tax benefits provided by the last four consecutive budgets have also encouraged the end-users and investors alike. Growing incomes of urban buyers coupled with fiscal incentives and falling interest rates, has seen disbursements by Housing Finance Companies grow at over 35% per annum in the past few years, as shown in Figure I.
