Affordable housing to take a hit in the upcoming Budget
By 2030, the Indian real estate market is expected to reach the $1 trillion mark. The government established a strong foundation for the nation’s real estate industry by allocating Rs 11.11 lakh crore for infrastructure development in the Union Budget 2024. India’s real estate industry anticipates a more growth-oriented and inclusive approach from the government in the 2025 budget. On February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will deliver the Union Budget 2025–2026.
However, there are differing opinions in the housing industry. Due to increased demand over the past two to three years, the upmarket segment, which includes premium and luxury residences, has seen a strong upturn in sentiment. Nonetheless, the Modi government’s goal of providing inexpensive homes is turning out to be problematic.
Affordable home sales have been declining sharply and consistently over the years, according to recent statistics from real estate research firm ANAROCK Property Consultants. The percentage of this group in total housing sales has decreased from 40% in the calendar year 2018 to 20% in 2024 among the seven largest cities from which data was gathered. Now, all eyes will be on the annual Union Budget 2025, which will include tax reductions and incentives related to the housing sector, such as interest subvention schemes or subsidies.
Some suggestions from the housing segment
The industry’s recommendations include a much-needed reinterpretation of what “affordable housing” is. There is an urgent need to update the current definitions of affordable housing, which are based on factors like size, cost, and buyer income. Most people agree that the 60 square meter carpet area needed to be eligible for incentives is reasonable, however, the INR 45 lakh price restriction is unachievable. Land prices have skyrocketed due to the increased demand for housing.
Additionally, experts believe that there is a transition from low to mid-income housing, especially among the paid class. According to the ANAROCK document, in order to reflect market realities, the cap should be increased to at least INR 85 lakh in Mumbai and INR 60–65 lakh in other major cities. The range of projects and purchasers who can take advantage of reduced goods and services taxes and other incentives will increase as a result.
Boosting Housing in Rural Regions
Implementing initiatives like first-time buyer incentives or even loans that allow people to transform “kaccha” homes into “pucca” ones is essential to increasing housing in rural areas.
In 2022, the PMAY’s CLSS for Low-Income Groups (LIG) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) came to an end. In order to encourage first-time homebuyers, experts are advocating for its restoration. Adding basic amenities like kitchens and bathrooms to existing homes or expanding incentives to loans for new development are other ideas. Subsidies could assist in transforming temporary dwellings into permanent constructions under PMAY (Rural), which would benefit a larger segment of the population.
Market Commentary on Budget Expectation
Elan Group’s Executive Director of Finance and Group CFO, Sandeep Agarwal, is hopeful that the next budget will offer a chance to address some of the industry’s most urgent issues. He asserts that in order to restore confidence among homeowners, the long-standing problem of stalled projects needs to be addressed first. reducing the impact of ineligible GST inputs on residential developments, redefining the criteria for affordable housing, and fixing discrepancies in the GST input credit for commercial buildings. Operational efficiency would be greatly increased by implementing a single window-clearing system for regulatory approvals within a specified timeframe.
According to Aman Sharma, Managing Director of Aarize Group, incentives and streamlined rules are anticipated to boost India’s economic trajectory and draw in foreign investors in the commercial real estate (CRE) sector. Measures like lower stamp duties and more tax breaks would be extremely beneficial to the luxury housing market, which is driven by changing lifestyles and expectations. With their expanding potential, Tier-2 cities need to strategically prioritize industrial and infrastructure development in order to open up new doors for investors and developers.
As stated by Saurabh Runwal, Director of Runwal Realty, it is imperative to implement legislative measures that improve liquidity, such as lowering long-term capital gains taxes, simplifying REIT rules, and raising interest rebates for home loans. With the luxury market experiencing a 51% increase in demand, these reforms will encourage both local and foreign investments, giving developers more competitive access to money and allowing homebuyers to fulfill their aspirations of becoming property owners.
Lower loan interest rates are necessary to make homes affordable for low- and middle-income households, according to BRIC-X INFRA founder Vijay Kamboj.
To maintain the sector’s pace, Mohit Goel, Managing Director of Omaxe Limited, argued for more funding under PMAY as well as financial incentives for both developers and customers.
Conclusion
Critics believe that with the real estate cycle in its upswing, rising land prices, and high interest rates, it may be difficult to meet the affordable criterion on the value of the dwelling units and the income profile of buyers. However, some industry experts believe that a tax holiday for developers of affordable housing may be beneficial.
The image added is for representation purposes only
