Emerging corridors of

Delhi NCR
Future development amidst economic and regulatory changes
2 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
Current
macroeconomic
scenario
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 3
US unemployment rate has gone down signifcantly, although job creation is slower than anticipated
US housing sector has been showing progressive recovery since 4Q-2011
Source: US Bureau of Labour Statistics, Federal Housing Finance Agency
500 11.0%
300
10.0%
100
9.0%
(100)
8.0%
(300)
7.0%
(500)
6.0%
(700)
5.0%
4.0%
Jan
2005
Jan
2006
Jan
2007
Jan
2008
Jan
2009
Jan
2010
Jan
2011
Jan
2012
Jan
2013
July
2005
July
2006
July
2007
July
2008
July
2009
July
2010
July
2011
Non-farm jobs (000s)
Unemployment rate (RHS)
July
2012
July
2013
(900) 3.0%
Jan
2000
Mar
2001
May
2002
July
2003
Sep
2004
Nov
2005
Aug
2007
Oct
2008
Nov
2012
Dec
2009
Jun
2006
Aug
2000
Oct
2001
Dec
2002
Feb
2004
Apr
2005
Jan
2007
Mar
2008
July
20101
FHFA US Housing Price Index (base year - 1980)
May
2009
Jun
2013
Feb
2011
Apr
2012
170
160
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
US economy: Housing market recovers, unemployment falls but job creation is still slow
Global economy
From the global economy perspective, we now witness
diversity in growth rates across three major continents.
The worlds largest economy, the United States, has
been on a recovery path with its hitherto most distressed
sector - the housing sector - recovering sustainably over
last 4-5 quarters. A partially improving manufacturing
sector along with certain macro-prudent fscal and
monetary policies have led to unemployment rate falling
substantially from over 9.0% as of early-2010 to around 7.0%
levels currently, thereby providing policymakers with great
comfort. Along with an improving manufacturing sector and
prudent fscal management, the economy posted a healthy
growth rate of 2.2% YoY in 2012, as against 1.8% in the
previous year.
4 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
In the European region, which was worst affected during the crisis
period and acted a drag on the world economy; the best that could
have happened in recent times is growth stability. After having
witnessed several quarters of recessionary growth, recent economic
releases indicate a stable outlook for the current fscal year. Recent
quarterly offcial statistics as well as the IMF estimate for 2013
suggests that the region region may be crawling out of recession.
However, it still suffers from high debt and unemployment rates, which
need to be addressed carefully through prudent fscal and monetary
management.
Meanwhile, problems seem to have resurfaced for the Asian countries,
led by the Chinese economy which is the largest in the region.
Growth in China, which is considered a factory to the World, has
moderated sharply from 10.4% in 2010 to 7.8% as of end-2012. Many
Asian economies, including the developed ones to an extent such as
Source: IMF
Australia and Japan, depend on China through trade linkages. Risk
of hard-landing of the Chinese economy could pose a challenge for
these dependent economies.
In the present world of increasing trade and fnancial integration,
the economic woes of the developed world are spilling over to
emerging countries through weaker demand for exports, heightened
volatility in capital fows and commodity prices. For instance, a loose
monetary policy of the US was a source of cheap funding for several
emerging economies that are currently reeling under current account
imbalances. More so, some problems of emerging countries are also
home-grown. After having witnessed high growth rates in the recent
past, several of these economies have started to face structural
bottlenecks, including funding constraints faced by local governments,
or overinvestment leading to excess production capacity in others, as
in the case of China.
Euro area continues to suffer from unsustainably high levels of debt and unemployment
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
2006
2012
0%
Spain Greece Italy USA Germany France UK Japan
Unemployment rate rose sharply since the crisis erupted, particularly in indebted European nations
100.0
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
2006
69
2007
66
2008
70
2010
86
2012
93
2009
80
2011
88
2013e
95
Euro areas rising government debt (% of GDP)
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 5
India economy
India has its own set of problems over and above the uncertainties
arising from an uncertain global economic outlook. A brief period
of rising international commodity prices during 2010 had exposed
the supply-bottlenecks inherent in the Indian economy, causing
widespread infation (see infation chart below). While demand
was high due to high consumerism in India, not all demand could
be fulflled due to capacity constraints and other structural issues.
Resolving these structural issues requires long-term planning and
cannot be solved in the short-term. Thus, the RBI had no alternative
but to raise interest rates consistently in the short-term to dampen
demand and subsequently arrest a widening demand-supply gap.
Source: Mospi, RBI
Unlike developed world, India and few other emerging nations are experiencing headwinds since 2012
15.0
13.0
11.0
9.0
7.0
5.0
3.0
1.0
(1.0)
Mar
2007
Mar
2008
Mar
2009
Mar
2010
Mar
2011
Mar
2012
Mar
2013
Jun
2007
Jun
2008
Jun
2009
Jun
2010
Jun
2011
Jun
2012
Jun
2013
Sep
2007
Sep
2008
Sep
2009
Sep
2010
Sep
2011
Sep
2012
Dec
2007
Dec
2008
Dec
2009
Dec
2010
Dec
2011
Dec
2012
RBI policy: Infation targetting takes precedence
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
-5.0%
Jun 2010 Jun 2011 Jun 2012 Mar 2011 Mar 2012 Sep 2010 Sep 2011 Sep 2011 Dec 2010 Dec 2011 Dec 2012 Mar 2013
Investment-led slowdown results in drag on consumption as well (% YoY)
Over a period of 22 months during 2010-11, the RBI increased
benchmark interest rates (the repo rate) by a whopping 375 basis
points (100 basis points = 1%), consequently affecting investments
and to some extent consumption.
The eventual fallout on the broader economy was imminent with
quarterly growth consistently slowing since the last peak observed in
FY2010-11. As of the latest QE-March 2013, economic growth stood
at a paltry 4.8% YoY, resulting in an annual growth rate that stood at
5.0% for FY2012-13. This is the slowest rate of annual growth since
almost a decade. As growth deteriorated and liquidity remained tight,
all sectors witnessed slack, including the construction and real estate
(part of the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate sector FIRE).
9.0
8.0
8.5
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
5.5
4.5
5.0
4.0
WIP infation (%YoY, LHS)
Real GDP
Repo Rate (%RHS)
Pvt. Consumption Investment
6 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
Another major concern for India in recent times has been
the widening gap between its imports and exports, which is
captured in the current account statement. As of fnancial year
ending Mar-2013, the current account defcit (CAD) stood at
4.8% of GDP, which is much above the comfort zone of Indian
policymakers - 2.5-3.0% of GDP. In a tight liquidity scenario such
as that presiding in India, this defcit needs to be bridged using
external fnancing. Thus, a burgeoning defcit makes India highly
dependent, and therefore vulnerable, to vagaries of external
capital fows and consequently, increases risk of an investment
downgrade. This CAD fnancing risk has lately got transmitted
into a weaker rupee, which recently touched a historic low of
61.8 as of frst week of August 2013. (See chart on INR currency
and 10-yr yield)
With limited support coming from global economy and a water-
tight situation with the monetary policy authorities, the only
alternative that seems feasible is to carry out fscal reforms that
would encourage foreign fows into India. The on-going monsoon
session (during the entire month of August) of the Indian
legislature is a good time for the government to roll-out certain
additional measures to boost growth.
The currently ruling UPA government has not entirely
disappointed investors on that front, although more needs to
be done in terms of making conditions for investment more
market-friendly. The last three quarters has been very active for
the real estate sector in terms of policies. Beginning September
2012, when the government brought forward a motion to allow
51% FDI in multi-brand retailing, which got approved in the
parliament in the month of Dec-2012, to allowing 100% FDI
in single-brand retailing, the policy environment has become
somewhat friendly. More recently in June-July 2013, the Indian
government has proposed concessions on the FDI norms for
retail (amongst certain others sectors) in order to factor-in
concerns over operational feasibility of international retailers. The
move has excited several international retailers who have been
contemplating an entry into Indian market. In the QE-June 2013,
the central government had passed the real estate regulatory bill,
which was pending for some time and is touted to be the game-
changer in the industry particularly for the residential sector.
India GDP Growth versus Construction and FIRE Sector (% YoY)
12.0 14.0
12.0
10.0
10.0
8.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
4.0
4.0
2.0
2.0
0.0 0.0
1QFY11 1QFY12 1QFY13 2QFY11 2QFY12 2QFY13 3QFY11 3QFY12 3QFY13 4QFY11 4QFY12 4QFY13
8.6
9.5
9.2
9.9
7.5
6.0
5.1
5.2
6.5
5.4
4.8
4.7
Construction Sector (RHS) Real GDP FIRE Sector (RHS)
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 7
Source: MOSPI, RBI, Oanda.com
Indias external vulnerability risk getting transmitted to markets
10-year bond yield % (RHS) INR / USD Values
Capital A/C balance Current A/C balance
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
-10.0
-20.0
-30.0
-40.0
1
Q
F
Y
0
9
1
Q
F
Y
1
0
1
Q
F
Y
1
1
1
Q
F
Y
1
2
1
Q
F
Y
1
3
2
Q
F
Y
0
9
2
Q
F
Y
1
0
2
Q
F
Y
1
1
2
Q
F
Y
1
2
2
Q
F
Y
1
3
3
Q
F
Y
0
9
3
Q
F
Y
1
0
3
Q
F
Y
1
1
3
Q
F
Y
1
2
3
Q
F
Y
1
3
4
Q
F
Y
0
9
4
Q
F
Y
1
0
4
Q
F
Y
1
1
4
Q
F
Y
1
2
4
Q
F
Y
1
3
Indias growing vulnerability to fnance its Current Account Defcit (CAD)
(in USD billion)
Interim risk perception of Indian economy has risen
(data upto end-July 2013)
45
47
3.0
2.6
2.8
49
2.4
51
2.2
53
2.0
55
57
59
61
63 1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
Jan 2012 Sep 2012 May 2013 Mar 2012 Nov 2012 May 2012 Jan 2013 Jul 2012 Mar 2013 Jul 2013
8 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
Brazil China India Russia
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
-0.0%
-5.0%
-10.0%
1
9
5
5
-
6
0
1
9
5
0
-
5
5
1
9
6
0
-
6
5
1
9
7
0
-
7
5
1
9
6
5
-
7
0
1
9
7
5
-
8
0
1
9
8
5
-
9
0
1
9
8
0
-
8
5
1
9
9
5
-
0
0
1
9
9
0
-
9
5
2
0
0
0
-
0
5
2
0
0
5
-
1
0
2
0
1
0
-
1
5
2
0
1
5
-
2
0
2
0
2
0
-
2
5
2
0
2
5
-
3
0
2
0
3
0
-
3
5
2
0
3
5
-
4
0
2
0
4
0
-
4
5
Higher growth of young population to last longer in India
(% Growth in working population aged 15-59)
Number of new frms incorporated
Emerging Economies Annual avg growth 2004-11 (%)
Russia 35.4%
India 26.0%
Indonesia 13.3%
Hong Kong, China 12.7%
Singapore 9.7%
Brazil 6.3%
Korea 5.7%
Malaysia 2.5%
Australia 0.9%
Source: World Bank Entrepreneurship indicators 2013
Indias long-term story remains intact
As per the UN population statistics, Indias favourable demographic story (rising workforce population in the age group of 15-59 years) will last
for at least another 25-30 years. As against this, other major emerging economies would witness a sharp decline in this demographic dividend
in the next 7-12 years, resulting in narrowing of spread between their growth rates with that of advanced countries.
At a time when the world economy has slowed down considerably,
affected by the global fnancial crisis, Indias rising potential for
growth, rising per-capita income, high consumerism and relatively
low wages is attracting investors and companies to shift their base
and start operations in India. As per recently published World Banks
Entrepreneurship indicators, in a seven year period of new frms
incorporated in India witnessed a stellar growth rate of 26% annually
in a seven year period until 2011 (latest available data), second only
to Russia.
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 9
In focus
Delhi NCR Real Estate
performance
10 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
It is pertinent to observe how the Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi
NCR) real estate markets have performed over the past year or so.
All three sectors - offce, retail and residential - are witnessing growth
because of the suburban towns surrounding the prime city. The
reasons for this are the large untapped development potential in the
suburbs and the substantial fnancial viability and affordability that are
available to both developers and end-users in these locations.
Based on the evidence presented above, it is clear that suburbs are
the drivers of real estate growth across Delhi NCR. As such, they are
also the drivers of pricing and other fnancial indicators. The prime city,
however, has an appreciable level of offce and retail stock, but the
lack of potential for future development limits its growth.
We look at the past 18-month period of refection following the recovery
that began in 2010. A qualitative overview of the three sectors - offce,
retail and residential - with relevance to the Delhi NCR follows.
Offce
There was a period of stagnation in 2012, followed by offce space
occupiers adopting consolidation measures. The global economic
signals were sluggish and the impact was most visible on Delhi NCR
offce market that is driven primarily by the IT/ITeS sector. With the
Americas and Europe in the throes of a slowdown, offce demand
dipped and, as a result, 2012 recorded the lowest absorption volumes
in eight years at 3.8 million sq ft. Occupiers of offce space were
looking at portfolio rationalisation and cost control measures such
as relocation and/or consolidation and space enquiries were the
dominant aspect of demand in the offce markets.
It is pertinent to note that since 2009, the annual new supply of
commercial offce space has caused the total stock to rise by 70%
(from end-2009) to nearly 70 million sq ft at end-2012. Previously, from
2006 to 2009, stock had more than doubled to more than 40 million sq
ft by end-2009. This points towards new supply also showing a slight
correction, as demand levels remained steady.
Demand levels started showing an improvement over the frst half
of 2013, with fresh absorption already at 62% of 2012 levels. Gross
transaction volumes also showed an increase and were nearly 1.8
million sq ft during 2Q13, compared to 0.98 million sq ft in 1Q13, a
substantial 84% q-o-q improvement.
The chart below shows the performance of the combined offce
60% 100%
4% 0%
80%
Residential
(Unsold Units)
Retail (sqft)
20% 10%
34% 66%
14% 67% 15%
13% 63% 25%
40%
Offce (sqft)
CBD/SBD Gurgaon Noida
CBD/SBD Gurgaon Noida Faridabad Ghaziabad
Delhi City Suburban
*(The chart above shows the current Delhi NCR stock/supply levels on an
overall basis and at the sub-market level that contribute to supply in the
appropriate asset classes (2Q13))
Delhi NCR - Offce Supply / Absorption and Vacancy rates
4,50,000
4,00,000
3,50,000
3,00,000
2,50,000
2,00,000
1,15,000
1,00,000
50,000
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0% 0
1Q 2012 3Q 2012 1Q 2013 2Q 2012 4Q 2012 2Q 2013
New Construction Net Absorption Vacancy Rate
s
q

f
t
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 11
markets of Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida. The prime offce sub-markets
are still the suburbs of Gurgaon and Noida. Within these sub-markets,
DLF Cyber City and Sohna Road in Gurgaon and the Noida-
Greater Noida Expressway in Noida are the most sought after offce
destinations. The offce markets of Delhi (CBD and SBD) remain
marginal players in terms of fresh supply and absorption volumes.
Retail
The Delhi NCR retail sector has a unique character - the market,
with its combined per capita incomes being one of the highest in
the country provides every retailer with a healthy consumer base.
For analysis, we segregate organised retail in this market into the
Prime South (South Delhi retail mall developments), Prime Others
(mall developments in the north, west, east and the rest of Delhi) and
Suburbs (Noida, Greater Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Faridabad)
sub-markets.
Retailers have over recent quarters been aligning their growth strategy
with a focus on their business margins and expanding in previously
untapped markets. The focus was to grow selectively in existing
prime retail assets or select new and under-construction projects that
offered the optimum advantages of location, brand visibility and a
pure leasehold ownership model. This led to slow absorption volumes
that were the norm across most quarters during the past 18 months.
Only 1Q12 and 4Q12 saw moderate absorption, primarily because of
new project completions in the suburbs that became operational with
moderate pre-commitment levels.
The period under consideration was marked by two major trends.
One, retailers were downsizing the number of stores, shutting down
those that were recording low business volumes. Large format
retailers were also looking at reducing their typical store sizes. Mall
management teams, on the other hand, became active in tenant
management, undertaking periodic tenant performance reviews and
letting go low-performing tenants for better prospects.
Noida-Greater Noida Expressway
Noida City
SBD
CBD
Sohna Road
MG Road
NH-8
Golf Course Road
Gurgaon Offce sub-markets
Noida Offce sub-markets
Delhi Offce sub-markets
GROWTH
SLOWING
RENTS
FALLING
DECLINE
SLOWING
RENTS
RISING
Delhi NCR - Retail Supply / Absorption and Vacancy rates
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
25.4%
25.2%
25.0%
24.8%
24.6%
24.4%
24.0%
24.2%
23.8%
23.6% -10,000
1Q 2012 3Q 2012 1Q 2013 2Q 2012 4Q 2012 2Q 2013
New Construction Net Absorption Vacancy Rate
s
q

f
t
Values for 2Q13
12 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
Demand in Delhi NCR retail markets came from both domestic
and global retailers, especially in the apparel, electronics and food
and beverage sectors. The market has the highest number of
operational malls (more than 90) compared to any other Indian urban
agglomeration and this is indicative of how the organised retail sector
has gained ground in this sub-market and altered shopping habits of
the urban population.
Most of the future developments are in the Suburbs sub-market, and
this retail market is likely to contribute signifcantly to retail demand
going forward. However, the retailers plans of selecting only specifc
projects based on their business growth parameters are likely to add
to growing supply and vacancy rate pains in the retail sector. The most
sought-after retail projects are those located in the Prime South sub-
market, and they command the highest rents.
A lack of vacant space in preferred malls has led to retailers focusing
on the prominent high streets of the main city, such as Connaught
Place, South Extension, Khan Market and Rajouri Garden.
Residential
The residential sector has not been left untouched by the events that
have infuenced the domestic economy over the previous 18 months.
These events along with the consistent increase in land valuations
and input construction costs have led to sustained price increments
across all residential markets in Delhi NCR, despite demand
momentum being affected by such a price rise.
Like other real estate asset classes, the vibrant nature of residential
sector is also attributed to the contribution of suburban cities, which
along with Delhi form the Delhi NCR residential market.
Each residential market has its own typical development types, price
points and buyer/investor categories. The Delhi NCR residential sector
offers a wide range of projects across all categories classifed by type
(apartments, row houses, villas, plots) and price (affordable, mid,
premium and luxury). There is a fair mix of both buyers and investors
across all the residential markets, although investor contribution is
signifcantly higher in Gurgaon and Noida residential markets as they
offer a wider array of projects and are backed by healthy demand
levels.
The prime city of Delhi has been a marginal contributor with select
residential projects only and as such may not provide an accurate
barometer of the Delhi NCR residential sector
Noida residential market has been the largest contributor to the new
supply of private apartment units for the past 17 quarters, barring one.
This residential market is home to the Noida Extension residential
corridor, which has been a signifcant contributor to apartment unit
supply in the overall Delhi NCR residential market. As a result, Noida
residential market has recorded the highest sales volumes over the
last 18 months. The Noida-Greater Noida Expressway corridor has
been the most vibrant, with projects available at varying price points
and its location acting as a major pull factor. The hosting of the
Formula 1 event in Greater Noida has also brought about
interest in that residential corridor, which was otherwise
facing stagnation because of low
buyer/investor interest.
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 13
Gurgaon residential market has strong fundamentals of controlled
supply and good traction from investors and buyers alike. It has scaled
its previous market peaks recorded in 2008 and remains in demand.
All of the major developers have their eyes set on the residential
growth corridors of NH-8 and the Dwarka-Gurgaon Expressway, which
account for most of the new supply in this market over the past 18-24
months period. This residential market is also seeing good traction in
terms of luxury apartment supply by prominent national developers.
These growth corridors have seen a healthy increase in primary
market price levels because of the healthy sales volumes in these
sub-markets.
The other suburban residential markets of Ghaziabad and Faridabad
cater primarily for affordable and mid-segment housing and their
lower price points are a refection of the relatively lower investor
interest here. However, with an increased focus on affordable housing,
developers are actively looking at the NH-24 stretch in Ghaziabad,
which already has a sizeable living population in the developed
residential corridors of Vaishali and Indirapuram. The Faridabad
residential market has Greater Faridabad (also known as Neharpaar)
as a growth corridor, offering projects at relatively affordable price
points.
Overall, the Delhi NCR residential market has seen sustained price
increases that have contributed to a steady cooling-off of the demand
momentum over the past 12-18 months. However, we have not seen
a defnitive trend of falling sales, although the sales volumes as a
percentage of available stock have shown a sluggish decrease,
pointing to a creeping stagnancy in the residential markets. The
Delhi NCR - Residential Supply / Absorption and Vacancy rates
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
38.0%
36.0%
34.0%
32.0%
30.0%
28.0%
24.0%
22.0%
26.0%
20.0%
1Q 2012 3Q 2012 1Q 2013 2Q 2012 4Q 2012 2Q 2013
New Construction Net Absorption Vacancy Rate
N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

a
p
a
r
t
m
e
n
t

u
n
i
t
s
macroeconomic situation has not allowed the Reserve Bank of India
to cut the repo rates, which could lead to a reduction in home loan
interest rates and has acted as a catalyst for slowing demand. A
reduction in apartment supply is also a pointer in this regard.
14 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
Recent Policy Changes and its Impact on Delhi NCR Market
less than USD 1 million in plant and machinery. The period for
the second provision was not defned. For example, if a small
business increased its capital expenditure investment above the
limit, would the retailer have to change supplier in order to adhere
to the 30% sourcing cap?
Some clarifcation was provided in June 2013 by the Department
of Industrial Policy and Promotion. The infrastructure of existing
multi-brand retail chains bought by foreign retailers was not to
be counted as part of the mandatory investment criterion. New
retailers had to invest in their front-end operations from their
own pockets, thus disallowing the franchisee route of growth to
global frms. In addition, the sourcing requirement of 30% from
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) was restricted
to processed goods only and agro goods were not included. This
sourcing could not be used for their global business, but only for
domestic sales through retail chain stores.
On 1 August 2013, the government offered further concessions
on investment regulations. The 30% sourcing from MSMEs
has been revised to include frms where investment in
plant and machinery was USD 2 million. Additionally, the
sourcing requirement is applicable only at the beginning of
the relationship, i.e. if a frm grows above the USD 2 million
limit, the relationship will endure. The investment in back-end
infrastructure has been capped at USD 50 million only. The
other major concession has been that frms will now be allowed
to operate in cities with a population lower than the one million
limit introduced earlier, subject to the approval of the state
governments.
However, all these changes have to be mandated by parliament
before real groundwork is expected to begin from the retailers
end. The policy is likely to see some traction in Delhi NCR
only by 2015. Delhi NCR, however, does offer global retailers
the option to set up independent stores in suburban centres.
Considering their business margins and store sizes, such
retailers may fnd the traditional high streets and organised retail
developments expensive in terms of operating costs.
Real Estate Regulatory Bill and the Land Acquisition,
Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill
The above two bills have the potential to impact the residential
sector, particularly private enterprises involved in real estate
development.
The Real Estate Regulatory Bill meets a long standing need
for providing much-needed transparency and regulating the
Changes in Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Policy
Recent changes in the SEZ policy have removed the land size
cap of 25 acres for IT SEZs while also reducing the minimum
built-up requirement to 100,000 sqm in the seven major
cities, including Delhi NCR. In such a scenario, it is likely that
developers of under-construction SEZs who have already
achieved the minimum built-up criteria and have surplus land
available may not undertake development of future phases
and will have to launch residential projects for faster inventory
offoading and the cash conversion cycle. This is likely to
infuence the development of future phases in the SEZs, with
developers not retaining the keenness to develop offce space
unless a potential occupier pre-commits to space take-up. With
the residential sector remaining quite robust and attracting both
buyers and investors, it is likely that developers will remain
focused on residential developments at the expense of their
commercial projects. With returns from the residential sector
likely to remain high, developers may need a greater fnancial
incentive to create offce developments going forward, or they
are likely to adopt a go-slow policy. With returns low at current
prevailing rents, and project gestation periods being similar
for residential and comparable offce projects, the possibility
of developers increasing quoted rents for vacant space and
future offce phases in such SEZ projects must be taken into
account. It is also likely that with the removal of the land size
cap and the development area requirement reduced, occupiers
might approach state governments or attempt to source land
by themselves to create their captive, campus-styled SEZ
developments.
In addition, the twin reasons of reducing vacancy rates in quality
projects and the constrained future supply that will be affected
by the SEZ policy change might lead developers to seek higher
fnancial incentive to undertake offce development, which is
likely to result in rents rising over the medium term.
FDI Policy in Retail
The frst announcement allowing FDI in multi-brand retail trading
was made in September 2012, with the industry acknowledging
the proactive approach. Two major provisions of the policy
caused concern among retailers. One was retailers having to
invest 50% of their total investment in greenfeld developments
and back-end infrastructure of cold storage and supply chains.
The minimum investment in multi-brand retailing ventures had
to be USD 100 million. The other was retailers having to source
30% of their material from small businesses that had invested
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 15
hitherto largely unregulated housing sector in India. By applying
this bill to all projects more than 4,000 sqm in size, the ambit
is quite large and seeks to cover all major private residential
developments across the country.
The Real Estate Regulatory Bill works both ways. While it aims
to hold developers accountable, it also looks to ensure that the
allottees do not default in making payments. Thus, by providing
penalties for both the promoters and the allottees, the bill
seeks to ensure that non-compliance is minimal. On enactment,
the bill aims to ensure that real estate transactions are carried
out in a just and equitable manner.
The category of real estate brokers has also been brought
under the ambit of this bill by making their registration
mandatory when the promoter provides the project details to the
Regulatory Authority.
The bill also seeks to defne the carpet area, which will be a
standard defnition across the country.
The bill seeks to provide a model Agreement to Sell under
which the promoter is liable to furnish the necessary project
details to the allottee while also becoming responsible for
providing project-level details as demanded by the buyer.
The bill will establish a central Appellate Tribunal, with the
individual states responsible for setting up the Regulatory
Authority at the state level.
Although the bill will be a boon for property purchasers and
consumers, it has received a lot of opposition and criticism from
developers for not being inclusive in its approach. The bill in its
current form does not provide for any relief to developers in terms
of getting through the cumbersome approvals and permissions
process in an expeditious manner. It has been a constant
complaint by developers in India that they have to experience
long and inordinate delays in addition to the diffculty in obtaining
approvals for construction from the multi-headed government
agencies, and they have stressed the need for a single-window
clearance to cut through the red tape. This issue does not fnd
any mention in the bill. In addition, although the list of disclosures
to be furnished by the promoter is fairly exhaustive, it could still
be benchmarked against the best practices of the developed
markets, bringing the real estate markets in India in line with
markets where regulations have existed for some time, with
relevant lessons to be learnt from their experience.
The Land Acquisition Bill seeks to redress the compensation
and resettlement grievances of landowners who have sold their
land to private enterprises. It also seeks to reduce the states
role in acquiring land for private enterprises, while the states will
continue to enjoy the same powers of land acquisition for public
policy purposes.
This bill, although noble in its intent to provide a comprehensive
resettlement and rehabilitation package to displaced landowners,
will likely have, by increasing the compensation burden on
private enterprises, the dual impact of an increase in land
prices and, as a result, in project pricing. With the clause for
acquisition requiring the assent of 80% of affected parties,
the process is bound to become more tedious for mid-level real
estate players.
This bill was conceived in the aftermath of the land fasco that
engulfed the Noida Extension corridor in Delhi NCR. Here,
the government authorities were at fault, having acquired land
for industrial purposes from landowners and then altering the
land use to residential and selling it to private developers. The
result was that the original landowners received compensation
at lower rates commensurate to industrial land prices, while
the state cornered the proceeds, which were much higher as
the land use was changed to residential. The resultant court
rulings were in favour of the landowners and a comprehensive
resettlement package was arrived at. With the burden also thrust
on developers, since their cost of land acquisition went up, they
increased the prices of their residential projects, which adversely
affected the rights of buyers. One of the reasons for the Bill to
come about.
The state of Haryana has a model of land acquisition that seeks
to provide annuity payments to landowners who have parted with
their land to private enterprises or Public Private Partnership projects.
The need is to arrive at a more realistic model that is not skewed
in favour of any stakeholder, but is more just and equitable.
Land Pooling Policy in Delhi
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) approved this policy
in the last week of July 2013. Realising the issues faced by the
nodal body in acquiring land in the prime city, in terms of demand
or higher compensation in the wake of increased land valuations,
this policy has been executed. The DDA has created two
categories - one for land pooling above 20 hectares and the other
for land pooling between 2 and 20 hectares. Under this policy, the
ground coverage has also been increased from 33% to 40%.
Landowners would receive between 40-60% of the developed
land back from the DDA in lieu of compensation and they can
use that developed land in any way they desire. The DDA would
use 60% of the pooled land (53% for residential purposes, 5%
for commercial and 2% for public and semi-public use) and 48%
(43% for residential, 3% for commercial and 2% for public and
16 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
semi-public use) in the two categories, respectively. For housing for
economically weaker sections (EWS), 50% of the pooled land would
be handed over to the DDA for building EWS units.
This policy is likely to result in residential development projects across
the prime city, which has an acute shortage of housing and where
most of the housing needs are fulflled by the DDA. This policy is likely
to lead to an increase in private participation in housing development
across the city.
The Developer Switch in Asset Development
Post-crisis, many developers switched to the residential sector due to
the dual benefts of the sectors self-liquidating nature as well as the
inherent short-supply of housing in India. Another point of interest is
how the focus of the major developers of commercial offce space has
undergone a gradual shift towards residential housing development
projects.
The current commercial stock levels of the top developers have
low vacancy levels indicating that quality stock is limited. Also, a
recovery of sorts is being seen in the commercial offce space market.
However, there are indications that suggest that focus on future offce
development will be limited. This is because, returns from residential
sector development has shown a healthy rise for developers, whereas
commercial rents have recovered only up to levels seen as of end-
2009, staying at merely 53% of the peak values observed in 2007.
These factors are likely come together to create a situation where the
current occupier-friendly conditions in the offce market are likely tour
of the landlords.
A comparison of the most vibrant offce and residential markets of
Gurgaon and Noida clearly bring out the points made above regarding
movement of offce rents against residential prices.
A point that needs to be highlighted is that from 2009 until today, while
total new supply of IT offce space in Gurgaon and Noida has been
27 million sq ft, the corresponding launched residential supply totals
an extremely high 490 million sq ft across the residential markets of
Gurgaon and Noida. This clearly highlights the point that developers
across all levels have shown a bias towards residential projects
that allow them a quick turnaround in their liquidity cycle while also
providing higher returns on average compared to rent returns from
commercial offce projects.
Offce Rents vs Residential Capital Values
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2008 2010 2012 2009 2011 2013F
R
V

v
s

C
V

I
n
d
e
x
Gurgaon Offce Gurgaon Residential Noida Residential Noida Offce
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 17
Expanding the Delhi NCR Boundaries
Delhi NCR is the largest urban agglomeration in India and the second
largest in the world. This sub-market has an independent Delhi
NCR Planning Board, which was constituted to channel the fow and
direction of economic growth and development along more balanced
and spatially orientated paths. The body creates its own functional
plans for the various constituent sub-markets of Delhi NCR and
ensures implementation at state level, keeping in mind the overall
Regional Plan.
As the existing suburban sprawls of Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad
are close to exhausting their development potential, we take a look at
fve hotspots that are likely to emerge as the nerve centres of future
growth planning and real estate development.
Sohna
Along with the recent Gurgaon Master Plan 2031, the Haryana
Government also notifed the 2031 Master Plan for Sohna. The town
is located 24 km from Gurgaon and is currently connected by the
well-known Sohna Road. Under the new master plan, an area of 6,110
hectares has been earmarked for future development. According to
the plan, the population of this town is expected to see an explosive
half-decadal growth rate of 70-76% until 2031. Of the development
proposed in the 2031 plan, more than 20 new sectors have been
planned and more than 28% of the land area has been set aside
for residential development. A host of factors is likely to contribute
towards this sub-market being a potential investment sub-market.
Already, a host of developers has undertaken land consolidation/
acquisition and obtained development licences, while a few have
already launched projects. This real estate market is likely to emerge
as an affordable housing hub with built-up residential projects likely to
be priced at the INR 4,000 to INR 5,500 per sq ft level. Serviced plot
prices are nearly one-third of those in Gurgaon. This sub-market is
likely to see a host of township projects, with developers holding land
parcels under commercial licence also considering a conversion of
land usage to residential. Land valuations following notifcation of the
master plan have risen to between INR 3.5 crores and INR 4.5 crores
per acre for non-licenced land parcels, a jump of more than 120%.
In addition, a host of infrastructure initiatives is likely to enhance the
attractiveness of this sub-market and create pull factors for demand.
This sub-market is expected to enjoy enhanced connectivity by two
cloverleaf junctions on the proposed KMP Expressway. Along with
this, the government has planned an Orbital Rail Corridor along the
KMP Expressway, while also earmarking 1,500 acres for an Industrial
Model Township. The Dedicated Freight Corridor linking Delhi to
Mumbai is also likely to be a growth magnet for development.
Neemrana
Neemrana is one of the fastest growing industrial centres in north
India. It is located strategically on NH-8 and in proximity to other
industrial sub-markets such as Bhiwadi, Bawal, Khushkhera and
Tapukhera. Situated in Rajasthan and part of Delhi NCR, this sub-
market has attracted heavy industrial investment from Japanese
manufacturing frms. Currently, a 1,200-acre Japanese Zone is 70%
operational, with heavy investment in manufacturing facilities by frms
such as Daikin, Mitsui Chemicals, Nissan, Nippon and NYK Logistics.
The Japan External Trade Organization and the Export Promotion
Industrial Park, spread over 3,500 acres, developed by the Rajasthan
18 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO)
in several phases, are other industrial zones that have led to this
sub-markets emergence as a major industrial hub. Neemrana is also
part of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Phase I development and
land acquisition for it is already complete. Its strategic location and
strong industrial linkages and prospects of employment generation
have led to it becoming a real estate investment hotspot. With
non-licenced land located on NH-8 currently priced at 1.2 crores per
acre, developers have already acquired large land holdings, while
others are actively seeking land parcels. Some residential projects
by Aashiyana, Eldeco and Anant Raj have already been launched.
This sub-market has tremendous potential for integrated township
projects and low-cost, affordable housing. There is likely to be
inherent demand from the large workforce already working here,
with more likely to be added over the course of the next few years.
The government of Rajasthan has already notifed the 2031 Master
Plan for the Shahjahanpur-Neemrana-Behror Urban Complex with a
futuristic 2041 Master Plan in the draft stage. Further infrastructural
initiatives are also likely to aid the emergence of this town as a major
real estate growth node. There are plans to set up a cargo airport, with
industrial frms from Korea and Taiwan also showing interest in setting
up manufacturing facilities. In fact, a Korean Dedicated Manufacturing
Zone has already been proposed to be set up through an agreement
between RIICO and the Korean frms nodal body, Kotra. Neemrana
is also a strategic stopover in the Delhi Mumbai Freight Corridor.
There are also plans to set up a Global City spread over 40,000 acres
containing smaller cluster cities centred around electronics, education,
entertainment and logistics. With industrial growth acting as a pull
factor, real estate development across the offce, retail and residential
asset classes is likely to fnd greater traction going forward.
Yamuna Expressway
The Yamuna Expressway offers large land parcels, and with it
becoming operational it is expected to act as a magnet for real
estate development projects. The expressway is 165 km long, and
with land availability in Noida becoming limited, this stretch will act
as the next node for large-scale developments such as integrated
townships and logistics & warehousing hubs. There is now a separate
Yamuna Expressway Authority that is responsible for creating and
implementing growth plans for this sub-market. More than 33,000
hectares has been notifed for development along the expressway,
of which the authority has acquired 11,200 hectares up to Agra.
Long-term planning for infrastructure development in the form of
an independent Yamuna Power Corporation Limited has been
established, which will set up a 2,000 MW power plant. According to
the 2021 Master Plan, 20% of land has been allocated for residential
development and 28% for industrial zones, with a substantial 21% set
aside for the green belt.
The proposed Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor is expected to pass
through Dadri and will boost the development of warehousing and
Special Development Zones along both sides of the expressway.
With connectivity to Agra, which is a major tourist spot that is being
enhanced, and travel time reduced considerably, the Yamuna
Expressway has already attracted the interest of major developers,
who have announced township and residential projects. With the
operational Formula 1 track and upcoming facilities like the Jaypee
Sports City project and Night Safari, it will be the source of the next
wave of development, which will expand the city boundaries.
Land parcels are available at much lower prices compared to other
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 19
parts of the Delhi NCR, with the current price for non-licenced land
being from INR 1 crores to INR 5 crores per acre, depending upon
location. While built-up apartment prices are in the range of INR 2,200
to INR 3,500 per sq ft, plots are priced at INR 14,000 to INR 32,000
per sq ft, one of the lowest in the sub-market.
A sub-market with low prices and upcoming projects at low price-
points provides enough scope for future developments and investment
in infrastructure projects to create a well-developed hub, which
equals a good investment option. Residential apartment prices
have remained largely stagnant since the expressway completion,
with projects further down this stretch launched at lower prices. The
residential plot prices have remained relatively stable over the past
one year, after showing an initial 35-40% appreciation.
For end users, low price points with projects by major developers
present an equally viable opportunity. In addition, with ancillary
developments such as Jaypee Sports City and Gautam Buddha
University coming up along with other social infrastructure projects,
this sub-market is expected to turn into a large-scale residential hub
with good amenities.
NH-24
Highways are the nodes along which a city spreads and with the
proposed upgrade and widening of NH-24, this stretch should offer
good infrastructure as well as enhanced connectivity to the main
city. This stretch lies close to the existing residential sub-market of
Indirapuram, which is quite densely populated and thus has growth
potential. The main growth node is the stretch of highway that begins
around 10-15 km beyond Indirapuram. This stretch was the frst
affordable housing hub in the Delhi NCR with the launch of Crossings
Republik, where a host of developers offered apartment units at low
cost to the buyers.
NH-24 is an important road linkage between Delhi, Ghaziabad and
Noida. The proximity to the established residential and industrial
corridors of Noida and Ghaziabad and accessibility to Delhi have been
the major factors that have led to real estate developers showing
interest here. However, currently the interest is focused towards
housing projects only. Currently, pricing on the NH-24 stretch, which
is of interest to developers, is in the range of INR 4 crores to INR 5
crores per acre for non-licenced land parcels. Developers are keen to
look at affordable housing projects or large-scale township projects,
which fnd good demand in the predominantly end-user driven market
at attractive price points. This sub-market is expected to be the game
changer in terms of affordable housing prices, which are likely to be
the lowest amongst all established suburban centres in the Delhi NCR.
The stretch offers affordable housing in the price range of INR 2,600
to INR 3,100 per sq ft. Connectivity along this stretch is likely to
improve and with its proximity to Noida, Ghaziabad is expected to
see healthy interest from buyers/investors. Projects along NH-24 are
currently available at one of the lowest price points in the Delhi NCR
residential market. In addition, developers such as SARE and Wave
are creating township projects that have a varied range of residential
formats at different price points. Other large projects by developers
such as Landcraft, SARE and Wave are also witnessing good interest
from buyers/investors. The Wave Hi-Tech City township is spread
over 4,500 acres and more such projects are expected, with a few
prominent developers actively sourcing land options. Other prominent
developers who have launched large township projects include
Landcraft, SARE, Antriksh and Mahagun. Apartment prices here are
among the lowest in the main suburban residential markets of the
Delhi NCR.
Proposed infrastructure initiatives have to keep pace with the
development of this sub-market to achieve its potential. There are
plans to decongest this stretch to enable it to achieve its optimum
potential. The Uttar Pradesh Government has proposed adding fve
underpasses on the 28-km stretch from Dasna to Indirapuram and
making this stretch signal-free. Widening of the highway to six lanes
is being proposed due to traffc congestion. Widening of the stretch
between Ghaziabad and Indirapuram towards the Delhi border to
eight lanes is also proposed. There is a proposal for a Metro station
at Indirapuram, but no concrete timelines are available. A connecting
road from NH-24 to Greater Noida before the Indirapuram Crossing is
also proposed and is likely to aid in reducing the traffc pressure on NH-24.
New Zones under the Delhi Master Plan 2021
To fnd Delhi among the real estate hotspots is doubtful, as the
prime city has had every possible square inch of urban land already
developed. However, the northern and south-western extremities
of the city have for some time now been the subject of discussion
as being potential development growth corridors. A large portion
of growth in Delhi has been undertaken by the DDA, especially in
the housing sector. The shortage of housing notwithstanding, the
prohibitive land prices and a lack of available land parcels were
factors that limited private sector participation in the growth of the
citys housing sector.
The city of Delhi is the engine that drives the economic and growth
story of entire Delhi NCR. Archaic development regulations were
in part responsible for not allowing optimum utilisation of the land
available within the city. The city has excellent infrastructure in terms
of roads, power, water and connectivity through the Metro. The
need to create a viable strategy for kick-starting the housing sector
20 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
by involving private enterprises was fnally realised when the Delhi
Master Plan 2021 was proposed and later notifed. It was clear that
underutilising available land within the city boundaries had led to high
property prices and created barriers to fulflling the housing needs of a
larger cross-section of society.
The Delhi Master Plan 2021 has envisaged the creation of fve new
zones - J, K, L, N and P - spread over 87,000 hectares. These zones,
referred to as urban extensions, are expected to unlock 60,000
hectares for development and redevelopment projects primarily
focused towards the housing sector. The population in Delhi according
to the 2021 plan is expected to grow to 2.36 crores over this period.
The idea is to create fve sub-cities on the lines of Dwarka with
infuence zones planned based on the mass transport system. To
cater to the shortage of housing, the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) has been
increased to 200 for group housing projects. The basic area details for
the zones follow.
Zone J comprises the sub-markets of Satbari and Mehrauli in south
Delhi. This sub-market is likely to see high-end developments and
land parcels sold off primarily as farmhouses. Existing farmhouses
would be able to undergo redevelopment to form multi-dwelling units.
Prices in this zone are in the range of INR 15 crores to INR 30 crores
per acre. Zone K is sub-divided into K1 and K2. While K1 comprises
the sub-market near the Najafgarh Drain, K2 comprises largely of
existing developments in Dwarka. This entire sub-market is located
close to the Dwarka sub-city. Few new sectors are likely to be added
to Dwarka, where private participation is anticipated. These will be
low density residential sub-markets. There is an increased focus on
setting up SEZs in this sub-market.
Zone L comprises the sub-market adjoining Dwarka and New
Gurgaon, separated by the Najafgarh Drain. This zone has 37
villages, which have been identifed to be in the residential zone.
More than 11,000 hectares is available for development and already
large private developers such as DLF, Emaar MGF and Ireo have
acquired substantial land holdings here. This zone has the potential
to provide for more than 500,000 residential units and townhouses/
farmhouses. Land prices in this sub-market are in the range of INR 4
crores to INR 4.5 crores per acre. At current residential Floor Space
Index prices, built-up apartments are likely to be priced between
INR 3,500 and INR 5,000 per sq ft, which is likely to provide a good
investment opportunity. This zone is also being actively sought
for creating townhouses in a gated community format with price
expectations of INR 4 crores and more. This sub-market is expected
to see its population grow to over three million over the master plan
period. Its proximity to Gurgaon and accessibility through the Dwarka-
Gurgaon Expressway provides an added advantage. However, actual
infrastructure development in this sub-market would provide an actual
barometer of investment potential in this zone.
Zone N is located close to Rohini in north-west Delhi. It comprises
over 11,000 hectares, of which nearly 49% is zoned for residential
use. According to development norms, this zone should additionally
provide for a further fve million to six million dwelling units across both
apartments and plotted developments. With expectations of no height
restrictions in this zone, the FAR is likely to be higher and hence the
cost of development is likely to be lower. Land prices are currently
in the range of INR 2 crores to INR 4 crores per acre and built-up
apartments should be priced anywhere between INR 4,500 and
INR 6,000 per sq ft. This zone enjoys proximity to the existing Metro
connectivity to Rohini and accessibility through the proposed Urban
Extension Roads 1 and 2.
Zone P is sub-divided into P1 and P2 and is located along both
sides of the NH-1, comprising the Narela sub-city. More than 7,000
hectares is available for development in this zone. The government
aims to create around 20,000 residential units by itself in Phase I.
There is also a growing trend of smaller, cooperative housing/welfare
societies acquiring smaller land parcels of 2-3 acres for creating
group housing under the cooperative housing schemes. Land prices
are in the range of INR 2 crores to INR 3 crores per acre. Residential
apartment prices are in the range of INR 2,400 to INR 2,500 per sq ft.
The chief attraction of this sub-market is the industrial activity, with a
major portion already made operational by the Delhi State Industrial
Corporation. Other proposed utilities and the proposed development
of an Integrated Freight Corridor are likely to aid employment
generation and in turn generate demand for housing by the industrial
workforce in this sub-market.
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 21
Emerging Trends on Urbanisation and Integrated Townships
peripheries are usually low on infrastructure support, and the
development of integrated townships needs such support to fourish.
Public infrastructure development usually lags any sub-markets
development. This means that the infrastructure does not keep pace
with development and it is usually planned reactively rather than being
forward looking.
Integrated townships seek to house a large number of families as
well as commercial establishments. Infrastructure is pivotal to making
such developments liveable. Most big Indian cities are struggling with
issues of power, water and drainage, not to mention the slow upgrade
of the road network. In such a scenario, integrated townships are likely
to struggle with a lack of support infrastructure. Although the internal
infrastructure such as roads, drainage and water connections as
well as social infrastructure has to be provided by the developer, the
external linkage to the state infrastructure backbone is imperative.
Over the next 2-5 years, most metropolises and satellite cities are
likely to see more launches of integrated township projects. Tier II
cities and state capitals, which see the population from the interior
gravitating towards them, are also likely to see the launch of such
projects. It is diffcult to give an exact number, but a few hundred such
projects are likely to be in different stages of development over the
next fve-year period. To substantiate further this trend, it is pertinent
to note that the Delhi NCR has more than 50 such township projects
under construction or in the proposed/planning stage. Although
there are no fully operational projects in the Delhi NCR, unlike the
City Population Density vs Population and Population growth rate
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
0 15 10 25 20 5 35 40 30
P
o
p
u
l
a
t
i
o
n

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

Population (Million)
Mumbai
2.3
Delhi
3.5
New York
0.7
Tokyo
0.34
Beijing
0.2
Density, (people per sqKm)
1
(Economic Survey, 2010-2011, pp 283-284),
2
(Economic Survey, 2010-2011, pp 283-284)
With a land area one-third the size of the US, India harbours nearly
three times the population. Unsurprisingly, Indian cities are not only
the most populous but also among the densest urban agglomerations
of the world, which pose unique challenges to the development of
infrastructure and real estate.
Indias urban population is underestimated, partly because of
defnitional reasons, and is expected
1
to approach some 45% of the
population compared to 30% (295 million) in 2009. This is equivalent
to building one additional Greater Mumbai or Greater Delhi every year.
Growth is taking place in the peripheries of the major agglomerations
of Greater Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Cities may hold the key to our future. India is entering what we term
the Three Great Transformations: (1) growth of cities; (2) jobs
to meet the rising aspirations of a young adult population; and (3)
doubling of household incomes. Urbanisation is pulling people out of
rural poverty. However, the process is a knife-edge: failure will lead to
chaotic cities, unfulflled aspirations and slower growth
2
.
New master plans in all major cities seek to expand the boundaries
of the urban sprawl. In such a scenario, newer areas would beneft
if integrated township developments were undertaken, as they
would provide a more holistic living environment and prevent the
mushrooming of unplanned urban villages.
Integrated townships, because of their huge land requirements,
need to be outside the main urban areas of any city. The citys
22 Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR
Magarpatta City township in Pune, there are many that are likely
to become operational over the next few years.
With the focus of integrated townships on creating affordable
housing and infrastructural development, such townships are
prime candidates for the granting of infrastructure status. This
would provide access to cheaper and more established sources of
funds while also providing the tax benefts required for developers
to look at this model of development.
The government has already opened the doors for External
Commercial Borrowings in integrated township development.
This provides access to cheap sources of fnance and has had a
positive impact on this form of development.
We are observing an increasing trend of developers looking at
such large, integrated projects, especially in the growth corridors
and emerging development hotspots in the Delhi NCR. Positive
trends surrounding integrated townships, a lack of residential
density in fast-growing cities (such as Gurgaon) and state
governments promoting integrated township projects by proposing
the easing of development norms have led to many developers
entering the fray of integrated township development. Major
players, such as DLF, Unitech, Vatika, Ansal API and IREO,
are already in various stages of developing township projects.
In Noida, developers such as Logix and the Jaypee Group are
developing golf-centric townships, in effect offering a value-
added option for customers. Other players, such as Parsvnath,
Supertech, Sobha Developers, Emaar MGF, BPTP and the
Wave Group, have also announced large and multiple integrated
township projects in the Delhi NCR.
Emerging corridors of Delhi NCR 23
Authors
Suvishesh Valsan
Assistant Vice President, Research
suvishesh.valsan@ap.jll.com
+91 22 3985 1309
Suvishesh joined Jones Lang LaSalle India in 2013 and is responsible for driving Thought Leadership and
Research publications, been part of the Research & Real Estate Intelligence Service (REIS) team. Based
in Mumbai, he also contributes to bespoke research publications for all sectors of the real estate. In his
over 5 years career prior to joining Jones Lang LaSalle, he has served in various fnancial institutions and
consultancy research frms, specialising in macroeconomics, asset allocation strategy and business research.
Suvishesh holds a Masters degree in Economics from the Gokhale Institute of Politics & Economics, Pune.
Rohan Sharma
Assistant Vice President, Research and REIS
rohan.sharma@ap.jll.com
+91 124 4605 015
Rohan Sharma manages the Real Estate Intelligence Service (REIS) for Delhi-NCR. Based out of Gurgaon,
he is responsible for bespoke research assignments and contributes towards topical whitepapers and property
market updates including sector analysis and market forecasts. He also actively contributes towards media
articles on local real estate development, city master plans and policy analysis. He joined Jones Lang LaSalle
India in December 2010 and has had over four years of prior real estate experience across the commercial
leasing and investments domains in previous frms. Rohan holds a Bachelors degree in Engineering and a
Master of Finance and Control degree from Delhi University.
Ashutosh Limaye
Head - Research and REIS
ashutosh.limaye@ap.jll.com
+91 22 3307 1500
Ashutosh Limaye is responsible for overseeing research and REIS business of JLL. He is also responsible for
effective business development, selection, grooming and growth of professionals in the research division. He
has 14 years of experience, including one and half years of post graduation in planning with specialization
in Urban Planning. His contributions include real estate market intelligence and forecasting, formulations of
economic and physical plans, assessments of policies, legislations and regulatory mechanisms for delivery of
infrastructure services, study of urban governance initiatives for urban management programmes, identifcation
of appropriate modes of private sector participation in infrastructure delivery for large-scale infrastructure and
township projects in the urban context, fnancial cost-beneft analyses, project formulation and appraisals, and
urban land management.
About Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) is a professional services and investment management frm offering specialized real estate services to
clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. With annual revenue of $3.9 billion, Jones Lang LaSalle
operates in 70 countries from more than 1,000 locations worldwide. On behalf of its clients, the frm provides management and real estate
outsourcing services to a property portfolio of 2.6 billion square feet and completed $63 billion in sales, acquisitions and fnance transactions
in 2012. Its investment management business, LaSalle Investment Management, has $47.7 billion of real estate assets under management.
Jones Lang LaSalle has over 50 years of experience in Asia Pacifc, with over 25,400 employees operating in 76 offces in 14 countries
across the region. The frm was named Best Property Consultancy in nine Asia Pacifc countries at the International Property Awards Asia
Pacifc 2012, in association with HSBC, and was named the number one real estate advisory frm in Asia Pacifc in the Euromoney Real
Estate Awards 2012.
For further information, please visit our website, www.ap.joneslanglasalle.com
About Jones Lang LaSalle India
Jones Lang LaSalle is Indias premier and largest professional services frm specializing in real estate. With an extensive geographic footprint
across 11 cities (Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Chandigarh and Coimbatore) and staff
strength of over 6100, the frm provides investors, developers, local corporates and multinational companies with a comprehensive range of
services including research, analytics, consultancy, transactions, project and development services, integrated facility management, property
and asset management, sustainability, industrial, capital markets, residential, hotels, health care, senior living, education and retail advisory.
The frm was named the Best Property Consultancy in India (5 Star Winner) at the International Property Awards - Asia Pacifc for 2012-13.
For further information, please visit www.joneslanglasalle.co.in
COPYRIGHT JONES LANG LASALLE All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be published without prior written permission from Jones Lang LaSalle. The information in this
publication should be regarded solely as a general guide. Whilst care has been taken in its preparation no representation is made or responsibility accepted for the accuracy of the whole or
any part. We stress that forecasting is a problematical exercise which at best should be regarded as an indicative assessment of possibilities rather than absolute certainties. The process
of making forward projections involves assumptions regarding numerous variables which are acutely sensitive to changing conditions, variations in any one of which may signifcantly affect
the outcome, and we draw your attention to this factor.
Real Estate Intelligence Service (REIS) is a subscription based research service designed to provide you with cutting edge
insights into diverse and challenging real estate markets through collation, analysis and forecasts of property market indicators and
trends across all major markets across various real estate asset classes - offce, retail, residential.

REIS empowers you with consistent and complete market data and analyses for all real estate indicators by specifc micro markets.
It is supplemented by value added services including client briefngs, presentations and rapid market updates.

For more details, contact, Ashutosh Limaye - ashutosh.limaye@ap.jll.com
Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
Founded in 1925, Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is the leading and only National Chamber of Commerce operating from Kolkata, and
one of the most pro-active and forward-looking Chambers in the country today. Its membership spans some of the most prominent and major
industrial groups in India. ICC is the founder member of FICCI, the apex body of business and industry in India. ICCs forte is its ability to
anticipate the needs of the future, respond to challenges, and prepare the stakeholders in the economy to beneft from these changes and
opportunities. Set up by a group of pioneering industrialists led by Mr. G D Birla, the Indian Chamber of Commerce was closely associated
with the Indian Freedom Movement, as the frst organised voice of indigenous Indian Industry. Currently, Mr. Shrivardhan Goenka is leading
the Chamber as its President.
ICCs North-East Initiative has gained a new momentum and dynamism over the last few years, and the Chamber has been hugely
successful in spreading awareness about the great economic potential of the North-East at national and international levels. Trade &
Investment shows on North-East in countries like Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have created new vistas of economic co-operation
between the North-East of India and South-East Asia.