India’s housing market in de-growth phase, pins hopes on Budget
Live MintNew Delhi, New home sales in India declined for the first time since the pandemic, as a sharp rise in housing prices and elevated borrowing costs ruined buyers' appetite in 2024 and the real estate industry is now eyeing the upcoming Budget for favourable economic conditions a key to reviving demand conditions. India's residential real estate market, estimated to be valued at over USD 300 billion, faced a marginal 4 per cent drop in sales volumes during 2024, according to data from consultant Anarock. "2024 has been another monumental year for the Indian real estate sector, with residential demand still remaining robust on the back of heightened consumer interest and the shift towards buying instead of renting," CREDAI National President Boman Irani told PTI. JLL India reported that Indian real estate attracted 51 per cent higher institutional investment in 2024 to nearly USD 9 billion, and experts believe that the trend will continue in the New Year on sustained demand across all asset classes. Irani stressed the need to redefine affordable housing, expand 80C benefits, and reduce interest rates to propel growth in Indian real estate, whose market size as per Naredco-Knight Frank report stood at nearly USD 500 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach USD 5.8 trillion by 2047.