The residential real estate sector in India is witnessing a spurt in global investments due to regulatory changes and a more dovish monetary policy outlook. Additionally, government announced a cut in the goods and services tax charged on sales of residential properties under construction to stimulate the economy by driving up consumption. The new rate of the Goods and Services Tax will be 5 percent, down from 12 percent, on all new housing projects except those that are classified as affordable housing for which the tax rate was lowered to 1 percent from 8 percent.
Blackstone Group, based in New York City, one of the largest owners of commercial real estate in India, acquired a majority stake in Aadhar Housing Finance – an affordable housing project, and committed $112 million of additional equity to the asset.
Ivanhoe Cambridge, the real estate arm of Canadian fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Mumbai-based Piramal Enterprises, announced a $70.15 million investment in Palava – a housing project on the outskirts of Mumbai.
This year, Canadian asset management firm Brookfield Asset Management plans to nearly double its investment in residential real estate in India from $450 million to over $1 billion.
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority along with Houston, TX-based Hines Investments will soon announce their real estate investment plans in India.