Sharad Mittal, Director and CEO, Motilal Oswal Real Estate

25 Jan 2021 CW Staff

Over the last six months, residential real estate has witnessed a strong recovery wherein almost all top cities are clocking record sales as compared to previous years. Customers and investors who had stayed away from residential real estate over the last four to five years are returning to the sector.

While some part of this recovery may be attributed to pent-up demand, developer discounts and temporary stamp duty waivers, a large part of it is on the back of fundamental factors such as multi-decadal low interest rates, bottomed-out pricing creating a room for price rise in future and a general increase in need for owning a home in light of Covid.

Return of this lost demand is imperative to the revival of residential real estate, which has been going through several challenges over the last four to five years due to a spate of regulatory reforms and funding crisis. The upcoming budget should focus on the revival of demand for real estate.

A key measure that can be introduced to boost end-user demand would be to increase eligibility limits on home values for affordable housing benefits from the current Rs 4.5 million to Rs 6 million. The move would expand the benefits of the affordable housing scheme to more homes.

Till 2017, the entire loss from deemed let out properties (second homes and thereafter) could be adjusted with income from all sources. That adjustment incentivised many people to invest in real estate for better tax planning. Restricting this limit to Rs 0.2 million in the 2017 budget created a drop in investor demand. Removing this limit in the upcoming budget would go a long way in bringing back lost investor demand.

Building Material

03 Dec 2025

Cement Makers Positive on H2 Demand Outlook

The leading cement producers have posted high single-digit volume growth and better sales realisation in the July–September quarter, setting a positive tone for the second half of FY26. Companies are upbeat on demand prospects, supported by a strong housing sector and continued government spending on major infrastructure projects. UltraTech, Ambuja Cement, Shree Cement, Dalmia Bharat and Nuvoco Vistas recorded revenue growth of up to 18 per cent in the September quarter. The rise was driven by firm realisations, softer input costs and an increased share of premium products. With coal price..

Odisha Targets Role as MSME Hub for Eastern India

Odisha has set its sights on becoming the MSME gateway of eastern India, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said at the Odisha Industrial Conclave 2025, organised by Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB). Calling the state a land of possibilities, he noted that Odisha has emerged as a leading destination for micro, small and medium enterprises.He said that reforms such as the Go-Swift single-window system now allow project approvals within a day. Odisha has also invested 6.1 per cent of its GDP in infrastructure development, which is expected to further accelerate industrial and MSME growth.Majhi emphasise..

Coal Ministry Eases Process for Exploration and GR Approvals

The Ministry of Coal has introduced a simplified approval mechanism for exploration programmes and Geological Reports (GRs) for coal and lignite blocks. The reform aims to accelerate exploration activity, reduce procedural delays and strengthen India’s preparedness for rising energy demand.Under the revised process, reports prepared by Notified Accredited Prospecting Agencies (APAs) and peer-reviewed by another accredited agency no longer require approval from the committee set up in January 2022. This marks a major shift towards faster, more transparent and technology-driven exploration.By ..