'It Is Scary' | Hiranandani Says In 45 Years He Has Never Seen Such A Downfall In Affordable Housing

The discussion begins with the significant demand for commercial and flex spaces, noting a 17% CAGR in recent years. The strategy involves partnering with top developers to be a consistent, high-repeat customer, focusing on prime locations and building strong relationships due to the long-term nature of real estate development.

Post-COVID, buyers demand a 'quality of life' beyond just a good house or building. They seek destinations with comprehensive facilities like transport, hospitals, shopping malls, and other conveniences. This means creating integrated communities rather than isolated buildings, a trend that will accelerate in Grade A spaces and eventually in Grade B.

Infrastructure development is crucial for creating new destinations. While some cities are making significant strides with metro lines, new airports, and coastal roads, others face challenges like traffic congestion. This leads to 'islands of excellence' where growth will be stupendous, and other areas that may not grow as strongly.

Niranjan Hiranandani expresses concern over the unprecedented downfall of affordable housing in the last 20 months. He suggests rental housing as a potential solution, requiring government consideration, incentivization, and support from CSR money and charitable trusts. The continuation of this decline could hinder India's overall growth and prosperity.

There has been a shrinkage in foreign investment in Indian real estate, primarily due to a lack of good office opportunities and historical reluctance to invest in residential. However, there's growing interest in warehousing and some foreign players entering residential. The need to encourage Indian funds and money to pump into real estate, especially the residential side, is highlighted for long-term sustainability.

REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) are gaining considerable interest, with a new REIT recently being 30 times oversubscribed. Foreign investors are increasingly accepting REITs as a product in India, seeing the commercial growth story play out. The discussion also touches on the future potential for residential REITs and the need for greater liquidity and transparency in real estate asset classes to attract more investment.