The Income Tax Budget 2024 underlined the essentiality of pro-people programs, all-round, all-pervasive, and all-inclusive social justice, opportunities for growth and employment, Social Inclusivity, Geographical Inclusivity, and Modern Infrastructure for the economic strength of the nation. The real estate sector was awaiting the Budget with bated breath as it aired some of its expectations such as an autonomous industry status, single-window project clearances, and fiscal duty remissions and cut down on home loan interest rates. While the nub of the Budget was centered around ensuring Housing for All, let’s check some of the reactions by the developers.
Vikas Garg, Joint Managing Director, Ganga Realty
The Interim Budget 2024 or Viksit Bharat Budget laid emphasis on the development of Modern Infrastructure, Geographical Inclusivity, and all-pervasive growth as the cornerstones of our rapidly growing economy. The Housing for Middle Class scheme announced by the Finance Minister which will empower the underprivileged sections to buy and build homes is a laudable move, enshrining the government’s commitment to Housing for All. This will speed up rapid urbanization and housing development in Tier 2 and 3 cities, attracting massive investments. On the whole, Luxury housing continues to gather steam, especially in metropolitan regions like Gurugram, while Affordable Housing developments will be predominant in Tier 2 and 3 markets. In addition, the Budget also announced the construction of 2 crore homes in the next five years under the PM Awas Yojana- Gramin. Although the demand for industry status and single-window clearances remain unmet, the Interim Budget introduced some pathbreaking decisions made on the principles of Reform, Perform, and Transform.
Dushyant Singh, Director, Orion One 32
Reverberating the idea of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Geographical Inclusivity, and all-inclusive social justice, the Interim Budget 2024 introduced some key reforms assuring Housing for All, just and equitable distribution of resources, women empowerment in terms of ownership or co-ownership of PM-Awas Yojana homes, and raising the standards of modern infrastructure. By creating a synergetic ecosystem, the Budget 2024 has created a leveling ground, which will lead to an upshift in the absorption of office spaces and mixed-use outlets. The Budget has exhorted programs and schemes for future-ready infrastructure, urban settlements, and housing for all sections of society, causing an inevitable boom in the demand for office spaces, retail shops, and high-street commercials.
Amit Gupta, Director, Orris Infrastructure
The ‘Viksit Bharat Budget’ had some keynote deliverances by the Honourable Finance Minister prioritizing pro-people initiatives, opportunities for growth and employment, Social Inclusivity, and Geographical Inclusivity in the Amrit Kaal. The Government has shown its steadfast commitment to ensuring Housing for All by announcing the Housing for Middle-Class scheme and setting a new target of construction of 2 crore homes in the next five years under the flagship PM Awas Yojana-Gramin program. The Housing for Middle-Class scheme marks a watershed period in the Indian housing landscape as it will financially empower the middle class and salaried strata of society to either build or buy their own homes, underlining economic amelioration of millions of people who sap in precarious conditions of unauthorized colonies and chawls. In addition, the Rooftop Solarization scheme will also be a boon as 1 cr household will be able to obtain up to 300 units of free electricity every month, leading to the development of resource-efficient economy.
Saransh Trehan, Managing Director, Trehan Group
The Interim Budget 2024’s proclamations are coterminous with the Government’s commitment to ensure Housing for All. The Finance Minister announced that the Housing for Middle-Class scheme will be launched to embolden and financially assist service class and salaried classes to construct or buy their independent homes. This will empower them to enjoy the basic right of housing as many of them struggle to keep their heads above water and live in slums, chawls, and rented houses. Secondly, the Government also resolved to build 2 crore new homes in the next five years under the PM Awas Yojana- Gramin while being close to achieving its target of constructing 3 crore homes in rural areas and countryside. In its entirety, the Budget incentivized and introduced many pro-people programs that will encourage millions of people to invest in real estate assets, especially in Tier 2 and 3 hubs due to the impetus given to strengthening of modern infrastructure and transport.
Shiven Vikram Bhatia, Executive Director, Splendor Group
Outlining the goal of achieving the status of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the Interim Budget 2024 has incentivized the idea of Housing for All by initiating pro-people measures and ramping up modern infrastructural quality, which will invariably increase the demand for office spaces and retail assets in metro cities and nearby towns. As per a CBRE report, retail space leasing activity has shot up by 48% across eight major cities including NCR in 2023 in shopping malls and high street locations. The Budget has also given unequivocal importance to uplifting the standards of modern infrastructure to boost national growth and promote growth-inducive factors, that will concomitantly pace up demand and sales of commercial and retail projects in newly developing corridors and realty zones.
Arvind Singh, Managing Director, Krasa Group
By advocating the philosophy of ‘Prosperous Bharat in harmony with nature’ and ‘First Developed India’, the Interim Budget 2024 presented by the Finance Minister announced Housing for Middle-Class scheme, Rooftop Solarization, and a new target of PM Awas Yojana-Gramin promising construction of 2 crore homes in the next five years. The idea of Modern Infrastructure and Geographical Inclusivity upheld in the Budget will usher in growth and systematic progress not only in metropolitan regions but also in Tier 2 and 3 realty zones. The demand for office and retail spaces is on a meteoric rise, which will increase manifold after the implementation of the reforms on the grass root level.
Vasudev Garg, Director, Rajdarbar Realty
Ensuring Housing for All was the central theme of the Interim Budget 2024 undergirding profound steps taken in the course of attainment of this objective. The Finance Minister announced a new eponymous scheme called ‘Housing for Middle Class’ under which the government will, through wilful measures, assist middle-class and low-income groups in constructing or purchasing their homes and help them accomplish their dream of home ownership. Additionally, the Government has also resolved to build 2 crore new homes in rural regions and villages under PM Awas Yojana-Gramin in the next five years. While giving 70% of houses under PM Awas Yojana in rural areas to women who are either sole or joint owners, the Government in its effort to ensure all-round social justice and equitable distribution of resources, has received plaudit from one and all.
