Is Australia property investment option!

A STABLE property market, tax reforms, a large supply of land for sale and a low dollar is making southern Australia a prime location for property investment, business experts say.

A major Australian city is in the midst of a huge public land sell off including prime harbourside sites and properties in inner-city suburbs.

The South Australian Government is offering the land across about 20 sites in its capital city, Adelaide, as it looks for ways to woo private investment to kick-start the ailing economy, replenish its coffers and halt rising unemployment.

Flinders University Business School Professor in Finance Sarath Delpachitra said there were substantial bargains to be made for foreign investors in South Australia compared to cities in the eastern states  – particularly Melbourne and Sydney – where the property market was at its peak and would not make prolonged returns for property investors.

This should be the best time for investment in South Australia

The economic issues such as the winding down of manufacturing in South Australia, the closing of power stations and a downturn in mining had created negative investor sentiments and acted as potential barriers to investment.

“It gives an indication that the state is struggling but that shouldn’t be the case for commercial and residential investors. This should be the best time for investment in South Australia because the normal theme is ‘buy at low and sell at high’ and we are going through a difficult period,” Prof Delpachitra said…

CREDAI National Award

Bangalore : Real estate major Brigade Group bagged both CREDAI National Awards for CSR  at the very first edition of the CREDAI CSR Awards at the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) annual flagship summit – CREDAI Conclave 2015,  held recently, at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi.  

 

Brigade Group received the Environmental Impact Award for its work in rejuvenating Sitharampalya lake in White field and the redevelopment of the Sangolli Rayanna Park in Malleswaram and the Social Impact Award for the redevelopment of the Sri. Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Playground in Malleswaram and the Skywalk with escalator across Dr. Rajkumar Road.

These awards were instituted to honour the efforts of members towards social causes.

Nestaway Launches Family Rentals

India’s first managed home rental network also announces launch of Mobile App

Bengaluru: After disrupting the youth home rental market and gaining thousands of tenants and a 100% month-on-month growth so far, India’s first managed home rental network, Nestaway, today announced the National Launch of its new line of business, Family Rentals today. The company also announced the launch of the Mobile App which is available on iOS as well.  Nestaway turns unbranded, unfurnished houses into fully furnished & managed apartments and provides them at affordable prices to verified tenants. Till date Nestaway has provided quality rental homes to about 4,000 tenants.

Housing for migrant bachelors/singles and families in cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Delhi NCR is becoming very difficult and the main reason is the lack of trust shown by the house owners. No player is addressing the real issue – that of trust-deficit and here is where Nestaway is playing the role of a bridge-builder. Nestaway is set to carry forward the ‘Trust’ and ‘Convenience’ stamp that it achieved in the Singles Rentals over the last one year, into the Family Rentals segment as well. Nestaway will achieve the TRUST by being a neutral third party providing transparent information to both sides and the CONFIDENCE by being the central convener of home services providers so that both tenants & owners never have to sweat over anything.

Unlike the other online real estate discovery and display sites, which are largely into listing of rental options, Nestaway goes beyond the discovery and display and takes care of the entire rental pipeline on both owner and tenant sides thus creating real value. Today the entire gamut of services from rents to maintenance issues to documentation is being managed from the convenience of the newly launched mobile app which is available on iOS too.

According to Deepak Dhar, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer(CBO) of Nestaway, “while most players lease properties from owners and further sublease it to tenants and keep the upside or downside to themselves, Nestaway is playing the role of a fair market maker. After a successful 11 months of rolling out Singles Rentals option, we are pleased to launch the Family Rentals option and the Mobile App for the convenience of a larger group of individuals and families. Nestaway not only offers a win-win solution for owners and tenants, but has also extended the rental network beyond singles and bachelors to include families now.”

Keller Kitchens launched its first exclusive 5000 square ft store in India

The renowned Dutch Kitchen brand, a 75 year old company,  Keller Kitchens launched its first exclusive 5000 square ft store in India on the 11^th of December at Kammanahalli, in Bangalore.

Renowned for using its unique Keller color system, Keller Kitchens allows you to combine colors and materials to create your own, customized kitchen! First class materials such as thick wood based panels and the soft close Blum technology for drawers and doors, give Keller Kitchens the edge over its competitors. The final product undergoes comprehensive testing before it is sent out from the Keller factory in the Netherlands. The above are just a few of the many reasons why Keller Kitchens is the smartest choice for your kitchen.

Mr. Ron van den Berg, Managing Director DKG International, who was in India for the launch said “ We are happy to be in India as it is a big market for us and are very excited to partner with Keller Interiors India Pvt Ltd.”

Martijn Boelens, Export Manager DKG International said “It has been a fantastic year, setting the first steps for Keller Kitchens India. I am very proud to have the first Keller kitchen in India. Let us celebrate bringing a Dutch kitchen brand to India. There is a huge market for the modular kitchens in India. On to a bright future. “

Saad Salman, Partner Keller Interiors India Pvt Ltd, seemed overjoyed at the occasion and confessed, “this is a landmark moment as I am sure, in the days to come, Keller Kitchens will redefine the way kitchen designs are perceived in India”

Echoing a similar sentiment, Abhijit Ghatak, Director Keller Interiors India Pvt Ltd said, “The entry of Keller Kitchens is a sure-shot game changer!”

With over 1750 colors and a wide range of designs to choose from, Keller Kitchens looks set to satisfy the varied tastes of the Indian consumer.

Address: Keller Kitchens, 59/1, 2^nd floor, Above Burger King, Jalvayu Vihar circle, Kalyan nagar,Bangalore

Store contact:  9148147483 Website: www.kellerinterior.com

HSIL Limited opens ‘hindware Lacasa’

Bangalore: India’s leading sanitaryware company, HSIL Limited, today launched ‘hindware Lacasa’, display centre at the Chabria Square Road, Bangalore. ‘hindware Lacasa’ is a concept store, a one stop shop for architects, interior designers, business buyers as well as homeowners where they can experience the entire product basket from the brand. Spread over 4000 sq. ft, ‘hindware lacasa’ exhibits all product categories on offer across Sanitaryware, Faucets, Tiles, Kitchen appliances, Vents, Wellness range comprising of massage tubs, shower panels and other allied products; all under one roof.

The ‘hindware Lacasa’ stores have been created to fulfil the need of today’s consumers who do not merely buy products or services; they buy an experience! Through the showcasing of the wide range and tech smart products of modern living from hindware consumers can envision and explore contemporary designs and create wonderful experiences inside their homes.

Inaugurating the store, Mr. Sandip Somany, Joint Managing Director, HSIL Ltd. said,“The South India market offers immense potential for growth. The sanitaryware market in South India is growing at around 12-14per cent, year on year, a testament of its latent prospect waiting to be optimised. The premium home and hospitality market in Karnataka and especially in Bangalore is growing rapidly. The opening of hindware Lacasa display centres underlines our intent and commitment to serve the discerning consumers in the city, enhance brand familiarity and overall bring to the fore; advancements taking place in the bathroom products domain.”

Hindware Lacasa stores are company owned and the Bangalore store is the fourth such store in India after Mumbai, Cochin and Ahmedabad.

Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill,2015

B.S. Nesar
Executive Director, Concorde Group

Union Cabinet approval of the impending Real Estate (Regulation and development) bill, 2015 is a much needed and welcome initiative of government. The main objectives of this bill are to better safeguard the interests of the customers, and to make real estate industry more professional, transparent and accountable in its operations.

These regulations will bring paradigm shift in real estate industry by ensuring the advent of customer-centric attitude. Although many self regulated builders are in the process of adapting customer friendly practices, few have followed questionable and unethical practices leading to skepticism in the mind of customer. This regulation will leave them with no option but to change and fall in line with good practices. This regulation will reduce the trust deficit between customers and builders.

Though in totality the bill appears to be in ‘good intention’, but certain fine points within the bill needs closer look. For e.g. as per the bill, builders have to deposit 70% of the project cost into an escrow account. The impact of this regulation will be different for builders from different cities. Builders in Bangalore might be able to absorb the financial burden of 70% deposit, but in city like Mumbai, where the ratio of cost of land to cost of construction is approximately 80:20, it would not be easy for builders to deposit 70% of total cost after investing 80% in the land. This will financially burden the builders; block their investment and will eventually raise their debt exposure.

Currently, in case if there are more than one project are running simultaneously, and one project is not doing well as compared to other project, in terms of booking and occupancy, the money from more successful project can be transferred for the marketing of slow picking projects. But after the implementation of this bill, it will not be possible to transfer money from one project to other, due to lock-in of investment. 

This regulation will also uplift the entry barriers for the real estate industry and the arrangement like Joint Development Agreement (JDA) will become more risky and over the period of time dysfunctional. The smaller builders with one or two projects will exit or not enter market. This will lead to consolidation of supply and maturity of market.  The channel partners also have to undergo changes as per the regulations. The regulation of channel partners will ensure smooth transactions and flow of information.

The developers will have to pay the interest to the customers, if there is any delay in completion of project by more than six months, eroding their profit margin. 

Certain aspects of bill such as insurance of land etc will provide much needed mental peace to the builders as well as customers. This bill will certainly help in the evolution of better ecosystem within the realm of real estate industry.   

Housing for All: Mission 2022 T.S. Kalyanaraman Meets Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Thrissur : Kalyan Jewellers, India’s leading and trusted jewellery brand has pledged its support for the Indian Government’s Housing for All: Mission 2022 programme. T.S. Kalyanaraman, Chairman and Managing Director of Kalyan Jewellers met Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri. Narendra Modi, and shared Kalyan Jewellers’ endeavour to support housing for the underprivileged, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.

Kalyan Jewellers is among the first few corporates to pledge support to the Government’s Housing for All: Mission 2022. As part of its commitment, Kalyan Jewellers will develop 1,000 houses in the initial phase and has earmarked Rs. 20 crore towards this effort. Shri. Kalyanaraman met Shri. Modi along with
Executive Directors of Kalyan Jewellers, Rajesh Kalyanaraman, Ramesh Kalyanaraman and Kalyan Developers MD, Karthik R, on the housing initiatives for weaker sections being undertaken in Thrissur where Kalyan Jewellers is currently developing 100 houses as part of Zero Landless Kerala initiative of the Kerala state government.

The framework of implementation includes a nodal agency working in close coordination with government, civic authorities & agencies, Self Help groups and other Non-Governmental bodies. Gujarat, Punjab, Telangana & Andhra Pradesh are among the states identified for developing the initiative. Kalyan Jewellers will continue to augment its efforts and build several hundred houses in the future.

Shri. T.S. Kalyanaraman, Chairman & Managing Director, said, ‘’It was a privilege to meet the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi and make a humble commitment towards the Government’s vision of Housing For All. We also briefly discussed some of the issues plaguing the jewellery industry and sought his early intervention in ensuring that the industry realizes its true potential.”

Shri. T.S. Kalyanaraman made a submission to the Hon’ble Prime Minister on some of the industry issues:

1. GST – A Paradigm shift in Gems and Jewellery Sector

The industry supports and eagerly awaits the implementation of GST as it would be a game changer for the Gems and Jewellery sector. Kalyan Jewellers however recommended that the State GST at the Retail level should not be more than the current rates which is 1 percent. All input taxes including CGST And IGST to be set off against SGST.

1. Inclusion of Jewellery Manufacturing by local artisans and craft smiths in “Make In India” campaign.

Lakhs of jewellery artisans and craft smiths who design and manufacture the most exquisite jewellery in the world stand to benefit if a certain area is earmarked in industrial zones for jewellery manufacturing units. The inclusion of jewellery manufacturing by local artisans and craft smiths in “Make In India” campaign would be a tremendous boost to promote the Indian Jewellery in global markets.

1. BIS Hallmarking to be made compulsory

To ensure stringent compliance to quality, BIS Hallmarking in jewellery retailing should be made compulsory. This would be in the best interest of manufacturers, suppliers and customers. Presently Hallmarking is carried out by government monitored agencies. To overcome the resource constraints of the agencies in ensuring strict implementation, the government may consider setting up local units in centers to ensure that all forms of jewellery are Hallmarked. The issue of only the jewellery retailer being held accountable in stray instances of some impurity was also brought to the attention of the Hon’ble Prime Minister. A more comprehensive framework to address this issue was suggested.

1. Free Gifts and Promotional Offers to increase sale of jewellery

The trend of attracting customers by promising free gifts and promotional offers which are questionable and unregulated was raised. The framework of regulation being adopted in Gulf countries was highlighted and a call for stricter monitoring by government agencies was requested.

1. Legal Metrology Act

Various states in India have enacted their own rules to enforce the Legal Metrology Act. This has led to a complicated environment for jewellery retailing especially players with a national footprint. It was suggested that a standard approach be adopted for implementation of the act which ensures consumer protection and enhancement of business opportunities.

ArthaYantra :Real Estate out of reach

Bengaluru, December, 2015: ArthaYantra Corporation, world’s only full-service robo-advisor released the 4^th Edition of its Annual Buy Vs Rent Report (ABRS). Buy Vs Rent of a residential property is a question that pesters millions of families in India. ArthaYantra Buy Vs Rent Score (ABRS) creates an objective method for families to arrive at answering their Buying Vs Renting question from a personal finance perspective, while keeping emotions out of it. The report covers real estate buy and rental markets in eight cities across India:Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune

ArthaYantra developed a patented composite score “ArthaYantra Buy Vs Rent Score” (ABRS)™ to quantify Buy Vs Rent decision and also explain the reason to buy or rent in a particular city. It uses a host of parameters including, salaries, taxation and prices to arrive at a recommendation.

ArthaYantra’s research addresses important consumer questions such as:

• How much more money does a professional need to shell out for buying a home compared to renting it?
• At what salary level should a professional Buy a property?
• At what salary level should a professional Rent a property?

ABRS™ answers these questions by considering three important factors: rental value, property price and gross income.

According to Nitin B. Vyakaranam, CEO ArthaYantra, “From the findings of 4^th edition of ArthaYantra Buy Vs Rent Report (2016), Mumbai and Delhi remain the most expensive cities for both buying and renting a residential property. While Chennai and Pune are mostly affordable for rentals, people with an annual income of INR 10 lakhs and above may consider buying a residential property in Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. Of all, the city of joy Kolkata is a paradox where rentals are expensive when compared to purchasing a residential property priced over INR 15 lakhs”

City Specific Findings:

Bengaluru:

1. A buoyant growth in the city’s job market is leading to an increase in demand for renting.
2. Rents have increased by 10.08% compared to last year, despite overall drop in property prices by 2.55%
3. The garden city is an affordable buy destination for people with an annual income of over
   INR 15 lakhs

Mumbai

1. Most expensive city for both buying and renting a residential property.
2. Though the real estate market in the city has had an upward trend, it is still beyond the reach of a middle income household.
3. Even someone with an annual income of INR 25 lakhs cannot afford to buy a residential property. Therefore, it is most suitable city for renting a house.

Delhi-NCR

1. Delhi-NCR is the second most expensive city to buy or rent a residential property
2. The capital city has seen rental values increase by 20% over the last 4 years, while average buying prices have increased by 9.1% for the same period
3. Buying a property here is only suitable for people with an annual income of INR 25 lakhs

Hyderabad

1. Continues to be the most affordable city for both buying and renting
2. Rents have seen an increase of 6.3% over the last 4 years while residential property prices have dropped by 10.46% over the same period.
3. Anyone with an annual income of over INR 9 lakhs can consider buying a residential property here

Chennai:

1. Chennai has witnessed an increase by 8.78% as compared to last year, besides Mumbai and Delhi-NCR, is 3^rdmost expensive cities to buy a residential property
2. Rental values have dropped by 1.7% compared to last year making this city favorable for renting
3. Buying a property here is only suitable for people with an annual income of over INR 20 lakhs

Pune

1. Pune has been in demand for both buying and renting a residential property.
2. There has been an upswing in the property prices as compared to last two years.
3. People with an annual income of above INR 17 lakhs can consider buying a residential property.

Kolkata

1. Kolkata has seen a similar growth across rentals and property prices.
2. Over the last year, property prices and rental values have grown by 11.27% and 11.48% respectively.
3. People with an annual income INR 15 lakhs can buy a house in the city of joy.

Ahmedabad

1. Ahmedabad continues to be an affordable city for both buying and renting a residential property.
2. The real estate market is growing at slow pace by making this city affordable for buying a property.
3. People with an annual income of INR 10 lakhs and above can consider buying a residential property in this city.

Nitin B. Vyakaranam, CEO ArthaYantra, adds “Buying a home without clear economic benefits can be detrimental to the financial well-being of the buyer. We recommend that ABRS should be used as the mainstay tool to arrive at a more objective decision on whether to buy or rent a property”.

To download full report,go to: https://arthos.arthayantra.com/abrs.html

Bajaj Electricals launches ‘.nxt’LED lighting solutions

Bangalore ; In a well applauded event called, ‘.nxt upgrade’, Bajaj Electricals launched whole new range of technologically advanced and highly efficient range of LED luminaires for the applications like IT / ITES, Modern work spaces, Pharmaceuticals,  Retails, industrial, Street Lighting, Area lighting and Smartcity Lighting.

‘.nxt upgrade’ was organised at Taj Vivantain Bangalore. The day-long event was marked with the presence of ‎Architects, Consultants, Corporates and Governments officials.

Speaking at the occasion Mr. R. Sundararajan, President – Lighting Business Group,

Bajaj Electricals Ltd. Said, “Bangalore has always been a high potential market for the company. We will continue to expand our network here and introduce new and world-class products. It is this trust in all our relationships, be it with partners or consumers that will keep Bajaj Electricals Ltd. moving forward on this glorious path.”

Bajaj Electricals Ltd has introduced a sub-brand ‘.nxt’ which offers world class products, which are made in India. “.nxt” is the digital revolution which helps customers UPGRADE to next level of lighting. “.nxt” offer customers an ease of maintenance and operations.

Bangalore is the hub for information technology; Bajaj Electricals have launched LED luminaires keeping specific requirements of indoor lighting for the customers in IT / ITES sector. This sector works 24 x 7 and has a dire need of introducing energy saving lighting solutions in their development centres. Bajaj’s lighting designers have worked along with the customer facility management teams to provide most efficient lighting scheme using LED luminaires.

Currently, Bajaj provided customized products to customers like Accenture,HP, TCS  and Infosys that meets their site requirements . In last one year, the LED luminaires were installed in more than 20,000 light points in Bangalore during giving huge energy savings to the IT sector.

Bajaj is driving UPGRADE programme which will help customers to upgrade to latest and technically advance .nxt LED products. Bajaj has been an undisputed leader in outdoor lighting andis now also very well entrenched in offering Lighting Solution for Modern Offices, Industries and Retail Stores.

Bajaj Electricals is the chosen company in Asia who has won the Global Efficiency Medal for our LED Luminaire SKYLUX XE (BZRSQL W3) NW (2’x2’ Planar Luminaire) on 26th August 2015at the International Conference of Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting in Luzern, Switzerland. The Super – efficient Equipment and ApplianceDevelopment (SEAD) initiative, an internationalcollaboration of 17 member governments and an initiative under the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), presented the awards.

Solar power system is one of the thrust area for Bajaj Electricals. Bajaj focusses to Solar Street Lights, which are manufactured using superior quality material and latest techniques and have easy installation process, longer service life and high performance. Bajaj also has a big basket of solar products such as Roof Top Solar bank, Solar Lanterns and Solar appliances.

Over the past 7 years, Bajaj Electricals has made rapid strides in the sphere of Integrated Building Management System or IBMS, which includes world class services in the realm of life safety, security system, HVAC controls, lighting controls and much more. Bajaj has taken leadership position in Data Centre Fire and Safety Management. These technologically advanced, intelligent features are truly a class apart and have found patronage in a variety of clients across the nation.

ApartmentADDA :Rescue in Chennai

ApartmentADDA, the leading neighbourhood networking, society management and accounting platform, has started to reach out to Chennaites with their helping hands. ApartmentADDA has launched a live update portal:http://chennai.adda.io/ which will be able to record status updates from Chennai City neighbourhoods.

“Chennai Neighbourhoods are cut-off from each other and also from the world. Phones are not reachable. However, some people are able to connect to internet. People are worried about their friends and relatives in Chennai. Only residents from the neighbourhood can inform the outside world what is going on.” says San Banerjee, CEO, ApartmentADDA.

This portal can be accessed by anybody for providing and viewing details on flood levels, rain updates, power cuts, availability of telephone connections, road conditions and other updates related to the neighbourhood. Even if reaching near and dear ones is difficult over phone, knowing the status of a particular locality will pacify many tensed minds.

As volunteer workers are not able to reach many localities, using this portal, residents of a particular neighborhood are also reaching out to others in the neighbourhood for help. This portal has become the one place where all Chennaites, are posting updates and relief requirements and posting which locality needs what.

“This portal is also of immense help to anyone who is volunteering to help and also for government rescue operatives who can monitor this page to know which neighbourhoods need help. We have created a portal with minimalist design, so that it loads on the current slow internet connection of Chennai”, adds San Banerjee.