Do investors prefer new warehouse developments or completed projects?

Major investors in the warehousing space include Ivanhoé Cambridge and QuadReal Property Group, Ascendas Firstspace, Warburg Pincus, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Everstone Capital Management, Brookfield, DHL India and Allcargo Logistics, among others.

The tapping of warehouse space depends on investment appetite and horizon. “While new developments are being preferred by investors for a shorter horizon, many major institutional funds are exploring developments with a mix of completed projects with standard and quality design, facility and operational easiness as well as a land bank for future developments,” observes Chandranath Dey, Senior Director and Head - Industrial Consulting and Supply Chain Consulting, JLL India. Apart from these two types of developments of stabilised assets and a mix of land and stabilised assets, some investors are also exploring land-only options for the long term owing to the absence of suitable investment-grade assets at present, he adds.

Embassy Group is agnostic towards investing in new developments or completed projects as long as it makes business sense. “The criteria for considering completed projects are when they meet our minimum specification offering and are fully compliant,” adds Aditya Virwani, COO, Embassy Group.

An ICRA report states that investment platforms with good financial backing have shown their intention of growing through a mix of in-house development as well as acquisition of completed or under-construction properties. Owners of completed projects will be able to monetise their assets at good yields, whereas investment funds may see potential for further improvement in valuations through their operational strengths and asset improvements, as per the report.

SERAPHINA D’SOUZA