Category: Latest Stories

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CommercialLatest Stories

Top 7 Cities’ Office Leasing Up 40% in H1 2025: Anarock

NEW DELHI: The commercial real estate sector in India showed a strong recovery in the first half of 2025, with net office leasing in the seven largest cities rising by 40% year-on-year to around 26.8 million sq ft, according to Anarock Research. This compares to 19.08 million sq ft in the same period last year. Bengaluru was the standout performer, achieving 6.55 million sq ft of net absorption, a 64% increase from 4 million sq ft in H1 2024. Pune reported the highest year-on-year growth rate in leasing, soaring by 188% to 3.8 million sq ft, up from 1.32 million…

IndustryLatest Stories

Bengaluru Property Work Stalled by e-Khata Delays

BENGALURU: The implementation of e-Khata, a digital property document system designed for property sales, building approvals, and ownership regularization, is facing significant hurdles in Bengaluru. Launched citywide in 2024 and accessible via Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) offices, Bengaluru One centres, and public drives, this system aimed to streamline property documentation and safeguard against fraud. However, residents are experiencing severe delays attributed to server outages, document mismatches, and insufficient options for correcting errors in draft e-Khatas. While approximately 25 lakh properties are listed with draft e-Khatas online, only 5.34 lakh have received official approval to date. Without a reliable process…

IndustryLatest Stories

UP Cabinet to Announce Revised Bylaws for Vertical Development

LUCKNOW: The state government is set to announce revised building bylaws designed to facilitate swift urbanization and bolster economic activities, promoting vertical development. Sources indicate that the housing department has submitted its final proposal to the government, which is anticipated to be discussed in the upcoming cabinet meeting. The updated rules will enable property owners to optimize use of available land space. Officials report that over 1,000 objections and suggestions were reviewed, with some affecting the final draft. The state has amended the building construction and development bylaws since their establishment in 2008, aiming to align with stakeholder expectations. As…

CommercialLatest Stories

GCCs Hold 42% of India’s Office Leasing in FY25: Report

AI-generated image (representative) NEW DELHI: Global Capability Centres (GCCs) have solidified their role in India’s office leasing landscape for FY25, contributing to 42% of total office space absorption nationwide, a slight increase from 41% the previous year, as reported by Vestian, a real estate consultancy firm. During the fiscal year, GCCs leased 31.8 million sq ft of office space, marking a substantial 24% growth year-on-year. Despite a 4% drop in the number of GCC transactions to 305 deals, the average leased area per transaction has increased, indicating a shift towards larger office spaces and long-term expansion plans. The report notes…

Housing FinanceLatest Stories

LIC Housing Finance names Lokesh Mundhra as CFO

Representative image NEW DELHI: LIC Housing Finance has appointed Lokesh Mundhra as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective Thursday. According to a regulatory filing, Sudipto Sil, who previously served as CFO, will now be the Marketing Head of the Western Region in Mumbai beginning April 17, 2025. “The Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Lokesh Mundhra as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Key Managerial Personnel (KMP) of the company effective April 17, 2025,” LIC Housing Finance stated. Mundhra, a Chartered Accountant, brings 32 years of experience from various roles at LIC of India, covering departments such…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

ED Suspends HMDA Official; ₹250 Crore Assets and Realtor Links Under Investigation

HYDERABAD: On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Hyderabad carried out searches at several locations associated with suspended HMDA official Shiva Balakrishna. This action is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged disproportionate assets identified by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Shiva Balakrishna, previously a planning officer at Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) and in-charge Secretary of the Telangana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), was arrested by the ACB on January 25 for possessing assets disproportionate to his known income sources. The ACB also took his brother, Naveen Kumar, into custody in connection with the case. The ED has initiated an…

IndustryLatest Stories

Domestic Investment in Indian Real Estate Soars 53% to $1.4B

Here’s a rewritten version of your content: — New Delhi: In the first half of 2025, India’s real estate sector drew in USD 3 billion in institutional investments, of which nearly half (48%) came from domestic investors, according to recent data from Colliers. Although total inflows saw a 15% year-on-year decline, domestic capital surged by 53% to USD 1.4 billion, acting as a vital cushion against decreasing foreign investments. Domestic investments, which traditionally took a back seat, have risen significantly from just 16% of total investments in 2021 to nearly half in H1 2025. Conversely, foreign investments fell 39% year-on-year…

Latest StoriesResidential

Gujarat CM Sets ₹200 Annual House Tax for PMAY-Gramin Beneficiaries

GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has announced an important measure to benefit recipients of government-backed housing in rural areas of the state. The initiative introduces a uniform annual house tax of Rs 200 for beneficiaries under various government housing schemes, including the Central Government’s flagship program, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural). An annual tax rate of Rs 200 has been established for four years, starting with the current assessment cycle, applicable to houses built with government aid within all Gram Panchayats statewide, as per the official announcement. No Gram Panchayat will have the authority to impose a rate higher…

CommercialLatest Stories

India’s Office Space Demand Reaches 48.9M Sq Ft in H1 2025

NEW DELHI: The demand for commercial office space in India hit an all-time high in the first half of 2025, with gross leasing volumes reaching 48.9 million sq ft, reflecting a substantial 41% increase compared to the previous year, according to the latest report by Knight Frank. This remarkable growth was fueled by robust leasing activities in Bengaluru, NCR, and Pune, driven predominantly by Global Capability Centres (GCCs), which accounted for 39% of the total leasing activity. Other significant players included third-party IT services (22%), flexible space operators (21%), and businesses focused on the Indian market (18%). GCCs and IT…

Housing FinanceLatest Stories

Bajaj Housing Finance Q4 FY25 Profit Soars 54% to Rs 5.87B

Representative image Bajaj Housing Finance of India announced a significant profit increase in its fourth-quarter results on Wednesday, buoyed by strong credit growth fueled by heightened demand for premium homes and soaring property prices in the nation. The country’s largest home loan provider by market capitalization realized a 54% increase in profit, amounting to 5.87 billion rupees ($68.8 million) for the quarter ending March 31. The demand for homes in India, especially in the premium segment that constitutes a substantial portion of Bajaj Housing Finance’s portfolio, has consistently remained strong over recent quarters. Residential real estate prices are projected to…