Hyderabad realty set for revival

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad real estate market, which has been in limbo for years mainly due to the Telangana statehood agitation, is beginning to see green shoots, thanks to renewed interest from realty players outside the city who find land here cheaper.

While Bengaluru-based realty players such as Brigade, Mantri, Embassy and Prestige are among those who either launched their projects recently or are firming up land deals, many other non-local realtors are in the process of doing so, says property consultants. 

"The entry of outstation players into the Hyderabad real estate market, both for residential and commercial projects, is an indication of the improving market scenario here," said Sandip Patnaik, Hyderabad managing director of property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Barring one or two non-local players, no new player entered the Hyderabad market owing to the sluggishness in 2009-14, he said. 

Read more at:  The Economic Time 

Hyderabad ranked in the top 5 cities of Amazon.in ( Reading Books )

Hyderabad: Hyderabad has been slotted among the top 5 cities in India that are driving the country’s love for reading, for the third consecutive year, according to the Amazon.in’s Annual Reading Trends Report. The ranking of the reading trend report was determined by compiling sales data of all the physical books sold during the course of the year 2015.

This year, Amish Tripathi’s ‘Scion of Ikshvaku’ was the most sold book in the city, while last year’s bestseller, Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Half Girlfriend’ came in third. The Manorama Yearbook 2015 was ranked second in the number of sales in the city.

The sale of the top book (Scion of Ikshvaku) was over 3x the sale of the most sold book of last year, Half Girlfriend, indicating an extremely healthy growth in the reading habits of the city.

Fiction ranked as the top genre of the year in the city. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’, Preeti Shenoy’s ‘Life is What You Make it’ and Robin Sharma’s self-help book ‘Who will cry when you die’ featured for the second year in the top 10 book purchased by the city.

Exam preparation books emerged as the third most popular genre and are amongst the fastest growing categories on the website that supplies the largest number of books in different languages. The Manorama Yearbook topped the Exam preparation category this year. The book moved from up from the 7th position last year to 2nd position this year in the overall book sales in Hyderabad.

The translated version of ‘The Secret’ authored by Rhonda Byrne topped the Telugu books category.

The translated version of ‘The Secret’ authored by Rhonda Byrne topped the Telugu books category.

Some findings from the trends report:

The Top 20 Most Well-Read Cities

1.	Delhi – NCR	9	Jaipur	17.	Ernakulam
2.	Bengaluru	10	Chandigarh	18.	Coimbatore
3.	Mumbai	11	Nagpur	19.	Bhopal
4.	Hyderabad	12	Surat	20.	Visakhapatnam
5.	Chennai	13	Bhubaneswar
6.	Pune	14.	Guwahati
7.	Kolkata	15.	Vadodara
8.	Ahmedabad	16.	Indore

Hyderabad RGIA to run on solar energy in 3 years

Hyderabad | New buildings and terminals will also have solar panels built into the design, says Rajiv Gandhi International Airport CEO S.G.K. Kishore.

In the next three years, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) will become self-sufficient when it comes to energy.

The GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL) witnessed inauguration of its 5 MW solar power plant here on Tuesday. The company’s CEO S.G.K. Kishore said the airport’s solar capacity would be upped to 30 Mega Watts (MW) in the next three years to meet all energy requirements.

In 2016-17 alone, the airport is expected to raise the solar capacity up to 12 MW. The installed power plant which has 16,000 modules of solar panels will meet 30 per cent of the airport’s requirements.

Even the new buildings and terminals which would come up on RGIA land as part of airport expansion plans scheduled for the coming year will have solar panels built into the design, he informed media in a briefing soon after the inaugural session.

The existing power plant is expected to reduce 70,000 tons of carbon emission every year, Mr. Kishore said. The power panels spread over 21 acres of land will ensure no escalation of energy costs in next 10 to 15 years. “When it comes to conventional power there is at least a 5 per cent escalation of costs every year,” he said, adding this would bring down airport costs in the next couple of years. The energy charges for airport is Rs. 3.5 crore per month.

Total investment for the existing solar plant was Rs. 25 crore. With the aid of banking at minimal rates, the three year solar expansion plan will see an investment of approximately Rs. 150 crore.

According to the CEO, the 30 MW plant will provide energy not just for the airport, but also for the airport city which is expected to come up. International airports, including Kochi and New Delhi were the firsts to go for solar power harvesting.

Terminal, cargo expansion

GHIAL’s expansion plans are not limited to solar power as the airport which has reached a passenger capacity of 12 million this year will start terminal, security, counters expansion the coming year. “We have witnessed robust traffic growth in the last few years. Last year, the growth was 24 per cent and this year so far, it is 20 per cent.

The idea is to maximise passenger traffic capacity to 20 million,” Mr. Kishore said.

Hyderabad airport has also witnessed high volume cargo growth, second only to New Delhi airport, he revealed. While the Delhi airport’s cargo traffic growth is 11.5 per cent Hyderabad recorded 11 per cent growth.

Pharma and defence sectors contribute most of the city’s cargo traffic. “In the next couple of years we will focus on developing facilities for perishables, food products and express cargo. Logistics is another important area of growth,” the CEO said.

Not limiting itself to Hyderabad centred cargo growth, RGIA is aiming at catchment expansion. “We are seeing cargo traffic from places such as Goa. While 15 of the cargo is currently coming from outside Hyderabad in the next two years, we aim at expanding this capacity to 30 per cent, over and above cargo expansion in Hyderabad. In the next three years, we expect double digit growth,” Mr. Kishore said.

It is stable governments, both at the Centre and State, that has enhanced Hyderabad airport’s growth rate, the company stressed.

Solar energy to light up RGIA in three years

Source : The Hindu

Hyderabad beats realty slowdown as housing sales rise 67%

Housing sales in Hyderabad rose by 67 per cent to 7,000 units during October 2014 to September 2015 period on improved demand from both end-users and investors after formation of Telangana. 

According to property consultant JLL India, housing sales stood at 7,000 units during the fourth quarter of 2014 to the third quarter of 2015 as against 4,200 units in the year-ago period. 

"After creation of new Telangana state and Hyderabad's status as joint capital, the end-users demand as well as investors sentiment has improved, resulting in an increase in sales," JLL India National Director - Research Ashutosh Limaye said when asked about rise in sales despite overall slowdown in real estate market. 

Going forward, he said sales would remain robust with reasonable price rise. 

"As the city moved past the global financial crisis and later, the formation of Telangana, developers are no longer holding back launches and buyers are also returning to the market," the report said. 

JLL said there has been a significant increase in the number of units launched. In the last three quarters alone, launches have picked up strongly, increasing by more than 1.5 times since last year. 

"Moreover, improved economic activity seen during the last six months has led to a better market sentiment. Corporates are also coming in as the political environment has improved," it added. 

The capital values have also witnessed a significant rise in Hyderabad of about 5-10 per cent year-on-year, after many years of seeing sub-5 per cent rate of appreciation. 

The city is likely to witness further price rise going forward, given its good quality of life and state-of-the-art infrastructure, the consultant said. 

"As the government goes all out to bring investments, heightened economic activity can be expected to further bolster the residential realty market," the report said.

Telangana Government Sops to Give Boost to Hyderabad Realty Sector

bY J Deepti Nandan #Reddy ( Source : The New Indian Express )

HYDERABAD:  The announcement of sops for real estate sector by the government has given a boost to the sector in Hyderabad as new projects, which have been held up for a year and a half, are getting ready to launch soon.

With the government relaxing most of the rules on common built-up area, reduction in the impact fee and non-agricultural land assessment tax, builders are expected to gain considerably.

“Due to relaxation given by TS government, the sector will come out of the deadlock kind of situation witnessed for the past four to five years. The reduction in the impact fee is expected to transform the skyline of Hyderabad, ensure ease of doing business and attract national players to the city,” said K Sreedhar Reddy, vice-president of Telangana Real Estate Developers Association (TREDA).

The relaxations were announced after many rounds of deliberations between the government and realtors and the CM okayed most of the requests. Though most of the sops announced had been agreed to by the government long ago, the announcement was delayed due to various reasons.

“The new rules and relaxation will apply only for new projects. Therefore, many builders and developers have held up their layouts and constructions. Now, they are ready to take up work,” said Gummi Rami Reddy, president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association, Hyderabad chapter.

For instance, in the case of NALA tax itself more than 600 cases are pending in court where builders have held up their launches. With reduction of NALA tax all these pending cases will be cleared.

Similarly, compulsory allocation of a part of land for the housing of economically weaker sections in case of layouts with open plots, collection of value addition charges in Cyberabad Development Area, provision of 40-ft peripheral road in gated communities and others were also abolished.

Besides doing away with certain compulsory provisions, the government has also taken some decisions which will bring about major changes like allowing construction of floors above multiple portions, allowing  stilt floor in smaller plots of 200 square metres, allowing amalgamation of plots in congested areas like old city subject to the condition that maximum plot size before amalgamation shall be 100 square metres and minimum plot size after amalgamation be 300 square metres.

Major Relaxations

• Construction of floors above multiple portions and stilt floor in smaller plots of 200 sq mt will be allowed
• Impact fee, non-agricultural land assessment tax reduced
• Buffer strip along Musi river reduced from 100 to 50 metres
• No compulsory allocation of a part of land for housing of economically weaker sections in case of layouts with open plots
• Collection of value addition charges in Cyberabad Development Area
• Provision of 40-ft peripheral road in gated communities

‘Rising Costs Causing Project Delays’

B Seenaiah, former president of the Builders Association of India and chairman of the organising committee of All India Builders Convention being held in Hyderabad from Friday to Sunday, explains about the problems being faced by builders. Excerpts:

How is the building sector now?

The building and construction sector is plagued with various problems, the major being rising costs and project delays. As a result, several builders and contractors are unable to recover the amount they have invested in projects.

What are the reasons for it?

There are many reasons ranging from huge rise in the cost of construction material to lack of proper planning by the government and other agencies which award contracts. For instance, in some cases governments call tenders for contract works even though they do not have a budget allocated for it. This pushes the contractors into trouble.

What then is the solution?

The system of contract works needs streamlining. We need the support of the central and state governments to solve issues. There is great need for protecting the interests of the construction sector which one of the highest tax-generating sectors for the government and is also labour-intensive and creator of jobs.

How is the sector faring in Hyderabad?

Clarity is yet to emerge after bifurcation. People, builders and investors are in two minds whether to prefer Hyderabad or AP.

Isn’t construction of the AP capital an opportunity for builders and contractors?

AP capital will provide opportunities but it will take a long time for it to be developed. The government has to shift employees and administrative machinery before any construction activity can start there in real sense.

Now, Take a Tour of Hyderabad in Helicopter

HYDERABAD:   Citizens of Greater Hyderabad as well as tourists visiting the heritage city would be able to enjoy a spectacular aerial view and watch the unique city scape, glare at the most lively city, as Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) in association with Telangana Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) has decided to launch ‘Helicopter Ride’ (Heli Tourism) soon.

There are many tourists spots around Hussainsagar, which look outstanding from an aerial view. The idea of helicopter ride is to provide an enthralling experience to the tourists and boost potential tourism in the city, HMDA Metropolitan Commissioner T Chiranjeevulu told Express.

HMDA will provide the required land at nearby People’s Plaza for setting up an helipad for chopper rides. There is also a proposal to establish ‘Go Karting facility’ opposite PV Ghat on Necklace Road.

Hyderabad | Gadkari assures big boost for highways in TS

HYDERABAD, JANUARY 4:  

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari today announced a number of road projects with a total outlay of over Rs. 40,800 crore, including two expressways from Hyderabad to Bangalore and Amaravati.

A detailed project report for development of Expressways between Hyderabad and Bangalore (550 km) and Hyderabad and Vijayawada (Amaravati 270 km), with potential investment outlay of Rs. 16,000 crore will soon be prepared. Apart from that about Rs. 25,000 crore would be invested in development of highways in the State, he said.

Speaking to reporters here today, the Union Minister said that the Centre was open to considering more projects if proposed by the State, in addition to some of the already under consideration projects. He said that the investment number is yet to be finalised as this could go up depending upon other proposals.

Gadkari, who had a luncheon meeting with the State Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, assured him all necessary support in taking up more highway projects in the State.

Responding to TS Government request to support the development of inland waterways, Gadkari said that the NDA Government was keen on development of waterways and assured to look into the proposals made by the State. A dry port is under consideration for development in Telangana.

The Centre was considering a multi-modal hub on Godavari, which will have a dry port, national highway network connectivity and inland waterway connection.

He was in Telangana to formally lay the foundation stone for four-lane highway project between Yadadri and Warangal section of national highway and inauguration of a major bridge across river Godavari on Hyderabad-Bhoopalapatanam section of National Highway 163 at Madikonda village of Warangal.

Source :  Businessline