Development of Greater Noida

Sector 150 in G. Noida mooted as model of real estate development in NCR:
To boost infrastructure in the newly developed sectors along the Noida-Greater Noida expressway, Noida Authority has started working on several projects envisaging connectivity with Faridabad and Greater Noida. All projects along the Expressway were reviewed recently by Noida Authority, which is also taking up a project to develop the 45-meter road which will connect Kalindi Kunj to Greater Noida. This road will cut the travel time from Kalindi Kunj to Greater Noida to 10 minutes.

To improve public transport system between Noida and Greater Noida, both the authorities have chalked out a detailed plan which would provide metro connectivity between Noida and Greater Noida. The construction may start within six weeks. The decision was taken during the board meeting of Noida and Greater Noida authorities.

The CEOs of both the authorities decided to start the construction of metro rail between the two cities. Apart from that Noida Authority has also decided to extend the existing Metro link in Noida city. In the joint meeting, many developmental projects got their nod.

“We are re-assessing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Metro line between Noida and Greater Noida and the tenders will be floated after the State Government agrees to the proposal and clears it. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will carry out the project work while the cost will be borne by the twin authorities.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Noida Sanjeev Saran said that they will extend the Metro line from Noida City Centre to Sector 62. The Metro rail would start from Botanical Garden Metro station and would reach Greater Noida via Sector 32, 51, 83, 101, 143, 147 (Noida) and Knowledge Park, Pari Chowk (Greater Noida). The total length of the proposed extension is 29.7 kilometres and there will be 22 stations on this line. Whereas the existing Metro rail link will be extended upto six kms between Noida City Centre to Sector 62.

The CEO said that Noida Authority is in the process of augmenting the existing bus fleet of City Bus Service and for this authority would add 170 buses in its fold. For this Noida Authority would provide 40.5 crore to the State Transport Department.  Out of 170 buses, 48 buses will be in the semi low-floor category while feeder buses will be made available at all metro stations of Noida city.

The CEO also announced to make one MW solar plant on the model adopted by Gujarat Government and the authority will provide five acres of land to the concerned department. Authority will also bear the cost of the entire project and the plant are planned to make the region more environment friendly.

The Smart City Race

                                                                                      Evaluation criteria for Smart City plans firmed up:
Based on credibility, feasibility and citizen engagement, Smart City plans will be evaluated by the Urban Development Ministry for selection of first batch of 20 cities after detailed consultation with states and urban local bodies (ULB).

New exit rules may attract private players to smart cities:
Easier rules will come as a lifeline for fund-starved developers engaged in private township projects, New Delhi, with just 3% of NCT population, in Smart City race: The New Delhi area includes government offices, houses of officials and ministers, diplomatic missions, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House and SC. Ghaziabad has been selected in the initial phase of the Central government’s Smart City project and a consultant will prepare a detailed project report to move Ghaziabad into the second phase of the scheme.

‘Green building costs just 10% higher than conventional ones’: With Nagpur's name included in list of 'Smart Cities' in India, the city needs to conform to its strict guidelines to become eligible for the grants under it. One of the conditions is to have many 'green buildings' that are not only cost effective in long run but also helps owners to maintain good health, apart from helping to preserve environment by saving light and water.

Maharashtra wants Pimpri Chinchwad name in Smart City Mission list:
The state government had clubbed Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad while selecting 10 cities from the state. Lower Parel has edge in Smart City race:
The Smart City detailed project report for Mumbai, which is being prepared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is in its final stages, and senior civic officials said Lower Parel in South Mumbai was one of the strongest contenders for area-based development. Nariman Point, Andheri (W) and Fort are also being considered.

Dharamsala to be developed as Smart City:
The state government was mulling to develop Dharamsala into a 'Smart City' as it is an international tourist destination of the country.

The race between Rae Bareli and Meerut to get selected under the Centre’s Smart City Mission has gained impetus, with both the Rae Bareli MP and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s office and BJP leaders from Meerut urging the UP government to take up their cause.
After the Union Urban Development Ministry announced that there was a tie between Rae Bareli and Meerut for the 13th ‘Smart City’ from UP and the state government was asked to take a final call, BJP leaders and Sonia’s office have both approached the government.

Let us see what the final list adds and what it deletes.

Real estate Regulatory bill

Real estate bill- All changes by Rajya Sabha panel accepted: The government is clearing the decks for passage of the crucial real estate bill in the forthcoming winter session of Parliament. The urban development ministry has accepted all the amendments proposed by a parliamentary committee and is readying to move the amended legislation for Cabinet approval and finally push it through Parliament.

Highlights of Real Estate Bill: 
All developers will have to register their projects with a real estate regulator. All states across the country will have one regulator which will settle disputes and impose compensation.
Neither housing nor commercial projects can be launched unless it got registered with the real estate regulator of the state. If the bill is passed in the Parliament, the ongoing projects, which are yet to receive completion certificates, will also have to abide by the same rule. Developers can't even advertise of their projects without prior registration with the real estate authority.
Developers cannot sell properties by showcasing the super area. Instead, the developers will have to disclose the carpet area before putting any advertisements.

The regulator authorities will monitor layout plans which should be declared during the time of registration of the project. Developers need to mention all details of contractor, architect, structural engineer, etc. associated with the project. Any buyer will get all information related to the project from the real estate regulator authorities. At least two-third buyers' consent to be needed if the developer wants to alter plans, structural designs and specifications of the building.

Developers will be responsible for structural defects and they need to refund money in cases of default. Any third party or broker, who are interested to sell flats or an apartment, will be asked to register their names with the regulatory body. The brokers also will be penalised for non-compliance.

Developers will have to pay refund with interest to buyers in case they fail to deliver projects on time. Promoters will have to deposit 50 per cent of the amounts collected from buyers in a separate bank account within 15 days. It will ensure that they will complete the project on time. The real estate regulator can impose penalty on developers if they violate any rules set by the authority. Projects can be de-registered and penalties might be imposed on the developer in such cases. Developers may have to pay a fine up to 10 per cent of project cost. Misinformation will attract fine of 5 per cent of project cost.

What are the changes/amendments made in the bill by NDA? Congress leader Ajay Maken in his blog highlighted a few points which actually irked Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders. Here are the points, which according to Congress, are problematic amendments to the bill. UPA had set the threshold of 70% of buyers' money which should be kept aside in a separate bank account by developers. The 70% money was to be used for construction cost. Now NDA reduced the amount and made it to 50%. In UPA's bill, builders were not allowed to make any changes in the plan of the project once it got clearance from the regulator. But now, they can make 'minor altercations'. Unlike the present bill, the previous bill had a clear definition of 'carpet area'. In NDA's bill, 'carpet area' definition replaced the definition of 'rentable area' which is used by the National Building Code. NDA's bill has a clause which may help developers in case of any delay of the project. Builders will not face penalties for delays due to "issue of completion certificate, approvals etc." Ajay Maken said that above mentioned clause can be misused easily by the developers.

Thus, even though the Real Estate Regulatory Bill is the step in the right direction, the government should put effort to bring in more clarity to make it really work for customers and developers alike.

Affordable Housing- Mumbai

Land identified in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) for affordable housing: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) has identified land parcels spread over 1,100 acres across Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) for developing affordable housing projects. Maharashtra housing body earmarks 1,100 acres for affordable housing. The land parcels are in Thane, Raigad and newly formed district Palghar, which includes Vasai & Virar. Mumbai Metropolitan Region includes cities of Mumbai, Thane & Navi Mumbai.

After the decision of state government, about 30 developers have submitted proposals to build low-cost houses in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region along with government-owned agency.

Big names, with advanced technology in construction sector, would be roped in by the state government to construct five lakh affordable houses in Mumbai, in the next five years, fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of providing affordable houses by 2022. Once these houses are ready, the ever-soaring cost of living in Mumbai shall automatically start sliding.

The land cost, the bulk of expenditure for any real estate project, will be minimum in this case as these land parcels will be allotted by the government to the state housing authority. The process of planning and drawing of a roadmap for these projects will be initiated after the land allotment.

The state minister of housing, labour and mines Prakash Mehta had last month announced that Maharashtra is considering opening up land parcels under the no-development zones as well as plots belonging to Indian defence personnel in an effort to build affordable houses in Mumbai. The Maharashtra government has already entered into an agreement with the defence ministry that will allow land under its control in Mumbai to be used for mass housing.

Govt Removes FDI Restrictions

Realty set for big revival as govt removes FDI restrictions:
The government recently removed all restrictions on foreign direct investments into the real estate and construction sector except for a three-year lock-in period for select projects, in a major boost to the cash-starved sector at this stage. This will have a huge positive impact on the housing sector as a whole, but much more so on the affordable housing segment, which was so far not a beneficiary of FDI in any significant manner. That is because the government has done away with restrictions on size and minimum capitalisation, meaning that FDI can now be brought into the construction sector in any amount and for any size of project. Also, there will now be no lock-in period for FDI investments into hotels and resorts, hospitals, SEZs, educational institutions, old age homes and NRI investments. The restriction that funds had to be brought into the country within six months of commencement of business has also been removed.

Bengaluru is top destination for real estate investments:
Nearly 13 per cent Rs 44,450 crore that PEs have invested in property market from 2013 have come to the city.

UP News:
Airport line tech to speed up work on Noida Metro:
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has tested and lifted the first 'U-girder', or U-shaped support beam, for the Noida-Greater Noida Metro alignment, and will install the first viaduct on the 29.9km corridor by the end of the year.
Girders directly bear the load of Metro tracks and the use of U-shaped ones have helped speed up construction work. The U-girders measure 27 metres in length which allows DMRC to use only two spans to install one segment of viaduct, whereas several spans of normal girders would have been required for installing the same viaduct. This technology was used by DMRC for the Airport line and the Badarpur-Faridabad corridor.

Collaborative Marketing

What is collaborative marketing? The collaborative marketing isn’t simply a new way of buying or selling: it’s a powerful movement in which people are getting goods and services from each other (what people call the “sharing economy”), or even making them outright (also known as the “maker movement”). Just as social media enabled peer-to-peer sharing of content, the technologies of the collaborative economy now enables peer-to-peer sharing of goods, services, transportation, space and money at a speed and scale that were unimaginable a decade ago.

Companies must be able to understand the customer insight and collaboration skills that they need to develop in order to compete effectively in the collaborative economy for years to come. Working as a team creates a powerful connection, not just as business owners, but as human beings. When people are connected in helping each other succeed they build a referral network that succeeds both online and offline.

We now have research to show that companies need to embrace the core innovations of the collaborative economy if they want to thrive in the era of Kickstarter, Uber and Taskrabbit. Forming strategic marketing collaborations with other businesses is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach new audiences. As customers are now coming forward to contribute their expertise, time, and resources in marketing exchanges in blogs, social media, and many interactive forums, we are witnessing the emergence of collaborative marketing.

Collaborative marketing is now becoming the process of working together with customers to create value in marketing exchanges. Some of the top companies that have used relationship marketing are required to think first about how to relate to their customers. In contrast, with the active customer, collaborative marketing requires companies to think about collaborating with customers, making sure they have an integral part in the company’s marketing activities. In collaborative marketing, the strategy network becomes the enabler of collaborative exchanges and goes way beyond relationship exchanges because companies involve mutual dependence and maximization of shared benefits to their customers.

If established companies want to tap the power of price, convenience and brand as competitive advantages in the era of the collaborative economy, however, they will have to embrace the lessons of sharing startups’ success. Companies that want to compete on price need to launch their own peer-to-peer marketplaces—like Walmart’s aftermarket for used video games—in order to reduce their customers’ total cost of ownership. Companies that want to offer customers the benefit of convenience can provide the ancillary services and products they need—the way Home Depot now lets its customers rent tools and equipment. And companies that want to leverage the power of their existing brand to attract sharing customers need to find ways to offer their traditional products via ownership or access—just as BMW has done, by introducing the DriveNow service that lets people get BMW vehicles when and where they need them.

The biggest challenge for most new brands is lack of awareness — which is why more than 80% of businesses recognise “finding new customers” as one of their biggest challenges to growth. This need, combined with limited budgets, is what drives a number of savvy brands to explore marketing collaborations to fuel their business. But collaboration remains one of the best-kept secrets of the entrepreneurial world.

More than 60% of start-ups and small businesses are working together to find new customers because it can be one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to grow a business. At one end of the scale, businesses are co-creating completely new products, or running whole marketing campaigns or on-pack promotions together. At the other end of the scale, savvy start-ups get together with other brands to promote each other’s brands and share each other’s products to expand their own reach.

Collaborative Marketing, in a nutshell, is the process of sharing resources to increase leads, brand, and influence. Not surprisingly, the Internet has made the option of collaborative marketing easier than ever. Are we ready for this paradigm shift? The answer to this question must be well thought out and carefully planned before we begin this new collaborative endeavor. If done correctly and utilized properly, this could grow our business exponentially.

Making a Smart City

Turning Delhi and its metropolitan area into a Smart City as a vision is beautiful but turning it into a reality would require lot of combined efforts. Making a Smart City out of a city is a complex process involving deep - rooted innovation with regard to: tangible and intangible infrastructures, the lifestyles of citizens; the regeneration and design of public spaces, strategies and tools to develop the economy and the handling of complexities. It requires a rethinking of policies and actions in order to create a community life and compete in a globalized world, also in terms of the changing rhythms of life and work in the "Smart" city. Many different players are part of this process: from large multinationals to social enterprises, from small and medium businesses to universities, from research centers to the world of associations. Public institutions, especially local ones, can play central role in facilitating, connecting and coordinating.

Public administration on its own can not transform a city into a smart city, but it does have the task of creating a favorable environment where the best and blue chip players within its area, work successfully towards common goals and shared vision. Smart city not only cultivates its technological component, but also combines: economic development and social inclusion, innovation and training, research and participation, and, at the same time, acquires all the tools necessary to provide the strategic framework, the internal coordination and the synergy, bringing together the different players.

In order to help trigger a virtuous circle, enhance existing synergies, meet the City's needs and making things practical and effective would call for active citizenship, following a public - public partnership model, building a strategy with the stakeholders and to foster a framework of governance suitable for a smart city. Pillars of Smart City are - Smart Economy, Smart Living, Smart Environment, Smart Mobility, Smart People. In parallel with the above process, an audit, comparison and analysis of 'smart' topics identifying potential promoters interested in the implementation of the smart process who could not only contribute with ideas and research, but also with funds and therefore, invest in the rebuilding of Delhi as a Smart City.

The underlying intention being the enhancement of the city, the social fabric of its neighbourhoods, so different in size and features so distinctive, it underlines that we should try and use the springboard for the development of a smart city which already exists in Digital, in consisting infrastructures and services including: a dense fiber networks optic, Wi-Fi hot spots, digital areas, and open data portals, among other things. All these have the aim of creating welcoming, resilient, flexible, changing city, and complement policies such as big data analysis, city EMF (electric and magnetic fields) structure plans, and so on. Through this existing data we can have a complete overview and understanding of how the smart processes can be put into place.

Delhi is already a hub of economic, social and cultural networks which are truly globulin nature. In order to be a pilot for smart, green and inclusive urban policies, Delhi must be Both inward and outward - looking. Smart City to a systemic and coordinated management of urban mobility, Which means reorganising the effectively transport demand, improving the use of public transport providing services and parking systems. The city has to enhance liveability by promoting all forms of sustainable mobility around the city where commuting becomes a pleasure, a moment of conscious choice with no waste nor waiting and with a reduced environmental impact. Mobility is smart if it leads to a better quality of life through effective, accessible and intelligent tools aimed at the optimisation of resources for all citizens, tourists and city users.

Smart City strives towards improving the quality of the environment, Which means improving the quality of life of its citizens. Caring for our surroundings means curbing pollution, improving energy efficiency in buildings and public lighting, and achieving better waste management and to citywide implementing smart grid for energy management. Energy issues are at the heart of a smart city where scarce resources, such as water, must be conserved and maintained. Smart City is a city where each citizen is unique and where all kinds of "intelligences" and diversities to create value. This requires that everyone contributes as an aware citizen. Therefore it is important to encourage smart policies focused on older people, children, young people, people with disabilities, migrants and the most vulnerable in order to ensure equal steadfast opportunities, eliminating discrimination and barriers based on race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or health condition.

Smart city can be achieved through the use of new technologies fostering the social realignment between public and private resources; to enhance existing informal networks and cooperation between the different stakeholders; to devise new ways of supporting and promoting multiculturalism; to ensure the availability of new forms of home-care and to give a voice to people otherwise considered "weak". Smart City will not exist without smart citizens: citizens who are active, aware and involved in the city's public life. To Achieve this, lifelong learning is needed to overcome the digital divide, to impart the cultures of well - being, the respect and improvement of the public facilities and of the environment.

Policies for well - being, which means the citizen benefits both fully from the home environment and the public spaces. Smart City is the one thats aiming towards the participatory management of green areas and public places, involving stakeholders in the promotion of well - being, spreading digital culture and new forms of interaction. At the same time Smart City encourages the spread of innovative tools even in the places of day - to - day living, decluttering and simplifying public administration.

Smart City will have to facilitate the relationship between public bodies or private services and through streamlining citizens administrative measures and simplifying bureaucracy. Smart City has to encourage monitor able, interlinked, cooperative projects, designed together with the stakeholders starting from the outset, in order to ensure project and to objectives coordinated approach, thereby encouraging public - public and public - private partnerships........and a lot more!!

Analysis of land acquisition/development in Delhi

Let us take a look at Population growth in Delhi, Population of NCT-Delhi had been growing at rates of 50% + per decade from 1950 to 1991. It increased from 17 lakhs in 1951 to 167 lakhs in 2011. The net addition to Delhi’s population during the decade 2001-2011 has 
been more than 29 lakh persons (21%). There is a clear demand-supply gap; the population growth of Delhi implies a continuing requirement for land. Delhi has also been attracting investment, employment opportunities, small industry, wholesale and retail trade and myriad of activities. All these new activities require space and increase demand for land for industrial, institutional, commercial and residential uses.

While demand for land kept increasing since 1950s, the supply has been relatively inelastic in responding to the demand. This has resulted in a number of problems, such as spiraling real estate prices, restricted land supply, unaffordable housing, formation of slums, etc. The reasons are many: but a very major reason has been the difficulty in acquiring land for development. 

Land development and disposal in Delhi is the responsibility of the Delhi Development Authority, constituted under DDA Act 1957. The Land and Building Department of the Delhi Government acquires land for DDA. DDA then undertakes the process of development for various purposes including housing. In addition, DDA also disposes off land to private developers and cooperative group housing society for the purpose of housing. Over the years it has been observed that DDA has not been able to fulfill the demand for land of the capital, leading to formation of unauthorized colonies. Also, DDA has not been able to fulfill its housing targets.

It was therefore necessary to look at the major problems and suggest alternative solutions. Only an average of 777 hectares of land was acquired annually instead of 1372 hectares as intended to meet the targets of the development set in MPD-62. During 1981-2001, against a planned acquisition of 24,000 hectares, 9507 hectares were acquired by 2001, which was only 40% of the target. Around 14479 hectares of land was proposed to be developed in the plan period 1961-81. However, by 1984 the land actually developed for residential purpose was 7316 hectares. In the various sub cities envisaged under MPD-2001, of the total 17493.15 hectares proposed to be developed, only 8388.15 hectares (47.95) of serviced land was made available by 2001. 50 per cent growth in existing infrastructure was required whereas existing land policy was unable to meet the demand.

Existing infrastructure capacity - 1.5 crore people, 2011 population - 1.7 crore, therefore, current deficit - 20 lakh. Expected 2021 population - 2.3 crore with 60 lakh growth. At least 50,000 acres of land is to be developed to accommodate 80 lakh population in just 6 years.


The shortfall in land acquired/developed can be primarily attributed to the following reasons:

• Dissatisfaction of the landowners with the compensation package leading to disputes and litigations thus slowing down the process of land acquisition. 
• Restricted financial capacity of DDA to acquire huge land parcels
• Delays in alternate allotment leading to further increases in cost. 
• Enhancement in compensation awarded by the court implying additional 
resources and extra administrative work 
• Pockets and plots of land that remain under litigation for a long time and hence left vacant have been encroached upon by unauthorised and JJ colonies.
• All the above have resulted in public supply of land falling short of demand and physical targets not being met.
• Thus, the need of the hour is an alternate land development model that is simple to operate and attractive to the landowner and which can quicken the process of land assembly.   

The housing sector has tremendous potential, as it is a major enabler as well as contributor to the economy. It is among the largest contributor to the exchequer and second largest employer. The sector also supports 250 other ancillary industries and nurturing of the sector can help increase its share from 6 per cent in 2013 to 10 to 12 per cent by 2022.

Thus, a new participatory land policy, addressing the concerns of the authorities and landowners, and enabling infrastructure creation was required and has been created. DDA’s land pooling policy is the same document which got its approval and go ahead on July 27th, 2013 and Urban Ministry’s approval on September 6th, 2013.

The Delhi Master Plan MPD 2021 is touted to be the largest ever real estate opportunity in the country for the demographic demand, and the administrative commitment provides the triggers for growth. Delhi’s Master Plan is designed to accommodate an additional population of 10 million people, as well as facilitate the creation of almost 1.6 million dwelling units, and the land pooling policy being the first of the many innovative methods towards the vision to reality.

Smart City project- Housing for All

Housing Shortage is gigantic and quite pronounced in Delhi. There is a clear shortage of houses in our city, the Factors of Shortage are due to- Congestion, Obsolescent, Katcha Houses and Homeless Households. Housing Shortage is going up because of Increased Urbanization and Migration. By 2026, it is expected that about 40% of the Indian Population will choose to live in urban areas. Presently also one in every three persons in urban areas is a migrant. Analyzing these statistics in detail project Smart City is proposed by the current government.

'Smart City' is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious project aimed at recasting the urban landscape of the country by making cities more livable and inclusive, besides driving the economic growth. Smart City is Union Urban Development Ministry's flagship programme - Smart City project, Atal Mission for Urban Renewal and Transformation (AMRUT) and Housing For All. According to the guidelines of the scheme, the objective is to promote cities, which provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of “smart” solutions. The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model, which will act like a lighthouse to other aspiring cities. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only sought to give more powers to the States but also called for giving residents the mandate to decide how urban areas should emerge. At the launch of the Housing for All, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Smart Cities schemes, he said it was the first time that residents were being challenged to formulate a development vision for their cities. The competitive mechanism would end the top-down approach and lead to people-centric urban development. Under AMRUT, 500 cities are targeted for development.

The Smart Cities scheme will target development of 100 cities over five years and Housing for All envisages construction of two crore houses in urban areas in seven years. L- zone Delhi, falls asa small plan under this bigger project.

AMRUT, which replaces the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, will give the States and the Union Territories the liberty and flexibility in formulation, approval and execution of projects. In order to provide an enabling environment facilitating construction of houses, especially affordable housing for weaker sections in the country by easing supply-side regulations and administrative constraints, government has proposed certain mandatory provisions to be followed by the state governments.

It has suggested states/UTs to do away with permissions for land use conversion if agricultural land is already included in the residential zone in Master Plans. States/UTs have been asked to prepare/amend Master Plans earmarking land for Affordable Housing using innovative methods such as land pooling.

Since the beginning of the twenty first century, a slew of regulatory reforms such as allowing foreign direct investments, improving access to credit by households, providing tax incentives on housing loans, developing special economic zones and thrust on infrastructure development, coupled with high economic growth, have propelled private sector participation in urban housing development. There should be more of such participation and other regulations to make this project Smart City, turn into a big success.

The provisions envisage adoption of the approach of deemed building permissions and layout approvals on the basis of pre-approved layouts and building plans for EWS and LIG. States/UTs are being asked to amend existing rental laws and also for putting in place a mechanism for time-bound clearances for layout approvals and building plans by the urban local bodies.

All hopes and dreams attached of the public for these concepts to turn into reality.

Call For New Urbanism

Since we are seeing a rapid growth in Delhi, there is a call for new Urbanism, lot of initiatives has been taken at the government and DDA level and we are seeing the concepts of New Urbanism and smart cities being promoted. It is an urban design movement, which promotes walk to work culture, containing a range of housing and job types.

NEW URBANISM is being promoted for Delhi as an initiative by DDA like L- Zone next to Dwarka, which promotes the creation and restoration of diverse, walk to work, compact, vibrant, mixed-use communities composed of the same components as conventional development, but assembled in a more integrated fashion, in the form of complete communities. These shall contain housing, work places, shops, entertainment, schools, parks, and civic facilities essential to the daily lives of the residents, all within easy walking distance of each other. New Urbanism will promote the increased use of trains and light rail, instead of more highways and roads. Urban living shall become the new hip and modern way to live for people of all ages.

NEW URBANISM is the most important planning movement of this century, and is about creating a better future for us all. It is an international movement to reform the design of the built environment, and is about raising our quality of life and standard of living by creating better places to live. New Urbanism is the revival of our lost art of place making, and is essentially a re-ordering of the built environment into the form of complete cities, towns, and neighborhoods - the way communities have been built for centuries around the world. New Urbanism involves fixing and infilling cities, as well as the creation of compact new towns and cities.

Our New Smart Cities shall have following features:

1. Walkability

- Most things within a 10-minute walk of home and work. - Pedestrian friendly street design (buildings close to street; tree-lined streets; on street parking; hidden parking lots; garages in rear lane; slow speed streets). - Pedestrian streets free of cars in special cases.

2. Connectivity -Interconnected street grid network, which disperses traffic & eases walking -A hierarchy of streets, boulevards, and alleys. -High quality pedestrian network and public realm shall make walking pleasurable

3. Mixed-Use and Diversity -A mix of shops, offices, apartments, and homes on site. Mixed-use within neighborhoods, within blocks, and within buildings. -Diversity of people - of ages, income levels, cultures, and races.

4. Mixed Housing A range of types, sizes and prices in closer proximity

5. Quality Architecture & Urban Design Emphasis on beauty, aesthetics, human comfort, and creating a sense of place; Special placement of civic uses and sites within community. Human scale architecture & beautiful surroundings nourishing the human spirit

6. Increased Density

-More buildings, residences, shops, and services closer together for ease of walking, to enable a more efficient use of services and resources, and to create a more convenient, enjoyable place to live. -New Urbanism design principles to be applied at the full range of densities from small towns, to large cities

7. Smart Transportation -A network of high-quality metro connecting cities, towns, and neighborhoods together -Pedestrian-friendly design that encourages a greater use of bicycles, rollerblades, scooters, and walking as daily transportation

8. Sustainability -Minimal environmental impact of development and its operations -Eco-friendly technologies, respect for ecology and value of natural systems -Energy efficiency -Less use of finite fuels -More local production -More walking, less driving

9. Quality of Life Taken together these add up to a high quality of life well worth living, and create places that enrich, uplift, and inspire the human spirit.

10. BENEFITS TO RESIDENTS

Higher quality of life; Better places to live, work, & play; Higher, more stable property values; Less traffic congestion & less driving; Healthier lifestyle with more walking, and less stress; Close proximity to main street retail & services; Close proximity to bike trails, parks, and nature; Pedestrian friendly communities offer more opportunities to get to know others in the neighborhood and town, resulting in meaningful relationships with more people, and a friendlier town; More freedom and independence to children, elderly, and the poor in being able to get to jobs, recreation, and services without the need for a car or someone to drive them; Great savings to residents and school boards in reduced commuting costs from children being able to walk or bicycle to neighborhood schools; More diversity and smaller, unique shops and services with local owners who are involved in community; Big savings by driving less, and owning less cars; Less ugly, congested sprawl to deal with daily; Better sense of place and community identity with more unique architecture; More open space to enjoy.

11. BENEFITS TO BUSINESSES Increased sales due to more foot traffic & people spending less on cars and gas; More profits due to spending less on advertising and large signs; Better lifestyle by living above shop in live-work units - saves the stressful & costly commute; Economies of scale in marketing due to close proximity and cooperation with other local businesses; Smaller spaces promote small local business incubation; Lower rents due to smaller spaces & smaller parking lots; Healthier lifestyle due to more walking and being near healthier restaurants; More community involvement from being part of community and knowing residents.

Planning for compact growth, rather than letting it sprawl out, has the potential to greatly increase the quality of the environment. It also prevents congestion problems and the environmental degradation normally associated with growth. Looking forward for such Smart City in Delhi.

Consumer & Market Trends in Real Estate

Real estate in India continues to be a favored destination globally for investors, developers and non-resident Indians (NRIs), driven largely by investor-friendly government policies and increasing globalization.

Being a good employment generation sector, real estate contributes effectively to India's gross domestic product (GDP). The foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector is expected to be much better in the next 10 years from its current status. The real estate sector in India is witnessing rapid growth in the residential, commercial and industrial segments.

Real estate development, once restricted to bigger cities, have shown marked progress in smaller cities and towns owing to availability of banks loans, higher earnings and improved standard of living. The sector's progress is driven by factors such as rapid urbanization, a growing trend towards nuclear families, positive demographics, rural–urban migration, ever-developing infrastructure, higher income levels and housing demand. The real estate sector, with its growing investment opportunities, is expected to boost annual revenues to a great extent.

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013, as approved by the Union Cabinet is a pioneering initiative aimed at delivering a uniform regulatory environment to protect the consumer, help in quick verdicts of disputes and ensure systematic growth of the sector. The Bill will promote transparency, fair and ethical business practices, relating to transactions, through disclosure of project details and contractual obligations vis-à-vis the project and the buyer, promoting informed choice for the buyers. This will substantially reduce the power asymmetry prevalent in real estate transactions.

The Bill will infuse professionalism and promote planned development of the real estate sector through the promotional role of the Regulatory Authority. The Bill will ensure timely completion of projects, and prevent fund diversion. The Bill provides for a speedy and specialized adjudication mechanism to settle disputes between the promoter, buyer and real estate agents, thereby de-clogging the civil courts and consumer forums, from disputes in the real estate sector.


Another upcoming trend is namely the increasing focus of online property transactions. Traditionally in India, agents are the centre of real estate transactions. Involving face to face contact not only means a much more personal approach, it also reduces the risks of property scams. There is an involvement of the third party as a mediator, to take care of the intricacies. This position of an agent has been a distinctive feature of the real estate business model in India for a long time.

Recently, there has been a change to the role of an agent as middle man, with a number of online resources entrenching their position as the agents’ front window, listing hundreds and thousands of properties for sale and providing advice to buyers. Improved technology is increasing the popularity of virtual tours of properties, blogs with current information on the market and insights and use of social networks. With buying real estate being the biggest financial commitment for most consumers, it is hardly unexpected that home buyers are willing to use what the Internet has to offer to support their buying decisions. The impact of the Internet on the real estate profession should not be underestimated. Agents should utilize opportunities offered online to adapt in their business models and include the use of technology in their business success strategies.

Agents are already embracing the use of the Internet, dedicating a greater percentage of their marketing budgets to online initiatives. Despite the challenges the Internet has brought to the real estate profession, it is doubtful that it will replace agents. Indeed, expertise offered by professional real estate agents and their social networks to other professionals cannot be substituted by online resources. It is important to remember that new technology poses threats but at the same time delivers benefits. Agents need to adapt themselves to this changing consumerism, success lies ahead if they can be more transparent, fair, professional and educated for the transaction.

Real Estate Investment – Building Wealth - On the Side

These days we see people don’t give much importance to savings, they want to spend more than they earn. Although our predecessors, always told us the importance of saving and they used to be really careful and participative with that. One is the saving in the bank, and another which grows exponentially is with real estate.

I am not giving here any guidelines for savings but real estate if chosen with care, is building wealth side by side, you need not be full time on with it, but even with right market knowledge and guidance one can on parallel along with existing business or job can create valuable lifetime assets.

Another reason why creating real estate wealth is important, I have seen people working in a job, where they are absolutely despised with it. Each day is worse than the previous one, so it is in a situation like this that you spend all your free time devising a way to get out of that job. You just need to fell head-over-heels in love with real estate investing and trust me you will not have to look back ever, if you play your cards right. With right property portfolio, you shall have cash flow enough to pay your bills. On the other hand, even if you love your job and would never dream of quitting, still invest in real estate, but in a different way than the category above, for them its full time career, for you it is building assets for your life, post retirement.

Principle number one for investing is to relax about investing, and gain a little motivation. Whether you are a brand new investor and struggling over the hurdles of getting started, or you are a more advanced investor and just hitting the usual obstacles, it always helps to take a deep breath, exhale, and calm down. Now doing the first things first, how much you are ready to invest and how much credit you can get to invest?

Now check which side of the city is growing, where are the upcoming projects, so that there is a potential of exponential return on your investment. Where prices have already gone up, there the return is less; it reaches the stagnancy and saturation point faster. Now do the right amount of due diligence of the project, location and developer involved. Comparative market analysis shall help to check the right pricing. If all these steps are taken in righteous manner, you can avoid the majority of unexpected!

If you don’t know it on your own, ask how to do it. Trust me this this is tried and tested and it has been extremely helpful. If you ever want to do something, there is a way to do it. You just have to find it and not reinvent the wheel on your own. So don’t ask whether it’s possible or not, figure out how it can be done. There is a way. Ask the experts, talk to brokers/ consultants working in that particular region. Ask questions. I had so many questions in red ink when I started out that I dare you to think you can ask more than I did. Don’t hold back because you think it might be a stupid question!

The idea here is building up lasting wealth using real estate as the tool to get there. The point I am trying to make is it is possible to have a career in real estate investing without investing in real estate and it is possible to invest in real estate without having a career in it. But ultimate goal is building lasting wealth. All the Best!!

Real Estate- Dreams of Today n Vision for Tomorrow

Way back in 2003, when I got into real estate, after spending years of my life in architecture, little did I know, what I was getting into. Real estate at that time was more like a property shop, disorganized, with hardly any processes or systems in place; it was not an industry at all. But I sincerely love my decision of stepping in here; it transformed my life forever. After spending eleven years here, I can definitely call this an industry, and I can say that I truly love real estate.

This industry is full of innovative thinkers, socially responsible developers, and mostly ambitious individuals. The real estate game is indeed played by the people, and it’s the people that make it great. With that in mind I encourage each and every one in this profession to become a student of the game and gain more knowledge every day to bring about positive change. As this industry is changing very fast, so we need to be updated and kept abreast with latest trends and information. In this industry's language only "An Investment in knowledge pays the best interest".

It is not easy to be a real estate developer, today when we have examples of lot of entrepreneurs; business conglomerates that were successful in other industries, have now entered into real estate and made a huge success story. It is only by having a big dream today, and having a great vision for a better tomorrow, which helps one succeed in this industry, despite all the odds that are likely to come your way. I would like to add here- "Vision is the Art of seeing what is Invisible to others."

What I have realized and always felt is that, Real estate professionals are certainly a unique group of people, a group of individuals with completely different skill-sets, who come together and build something that is architecturally significant, makes a neighborhood better, and create wonderful humane spaces in which people can work and play. One creates tangible assets that make an immediate impact on society.

Real Estate involves a grand physical scale, a component of artistry, and a relative permanence. But real estate can also be dangerous, when you know less and think you know it all. Life is all about learning more and more, and at all ages and at all phases of our life, so learn more and more and let it become a little less dangerous. In business schools we learn a lot of techniques and concepts, but no school can teach us about real financial risk – the kind that would be life-altering for anyone. And trust me you have to put yourself in such a situation, in order to understand a real estate transaction. Then only you would be in the right position to understand what your client is going through. For choosing this as a career, understand the risks involved, and the decision making hiccups involved. But it’s really worth the roller coaster ride, which this industry provides us, being a real estate professional, it allows me to participate in one of the most important moments in a person’s life, it allows me to protect these people’s interests, and be a person in their life that they remember as a confidant, trustworthy personnel, who helped them, sail through their tough deal smoothly.

I would encourage the youngsters to choose a career in real estate; it can open the door to many opportunities. Today’s fast-paced market offers a challenging career opportunity in real estate; however, long hours, hard work, diligence, and perseverance are a must to be successful here, but isn’t that true to be successful anywhere. Building a career in real estate, as with most professions, requires a great deal of hard work. But with commitment, there is potential for great personal and financial rewards. You should not expect immediate results, it does take some time.

Real estate is as much about relationship building as it is about selling. Those who have achieved significant success in the real estate industry may not only have a strong knowledge of the industry, but they also maximize the benefits of networking and continued education. Come join the bandwagon, be a part of this thrilling roller coaster ride, have fun.

Social Promotions N Real Estate

We all know the traditional methods of selling real estate, but with market turning uncertain and unpredictable, and the huge costs related to traditional marketing, one of the reasons that many professionals are no longer using radio, television or print ads to sell, any more.

But selling has to be done, then how to sell? One choice is to stick with the old and get tired with hardly or no good results, or second choice is to adopt the new and unique, be creative, have fun, sell more and enjoy. These days the current trend is people are becoming less social offline and more social online. So the action plan is to direct towards Social promotions online, we are discussing here about the huge potential this new medium of marketing brings to us at no extra cost.

But there are ground rules which apply to all types of networking. The real purpose of a social networking sites is to build relationships, networking, knowing people, understanding them. Don’t mix self-promotion with social networking. The rules of the game apply online as much as it does offline. People like to buy from the person they like. So make people like you online as well, not through self-promotion but through genuinely being interested in other people. Inbound marketing is the key, marketing that does not need to be intrusive or interruptive, one of the most organic and effective ways to accomplish these goals.

Social networking is the prime example of effective inbound marketing – if done right of course, we can reach our target audience and win them too. We have to effectively tap the online, unlimited resource, the place where a pool of prospective clients continues to grow each day. Every real estate professional knows that selling homes isn’t about buildings, it’s about people. They are living emotional beings, who buy and live in the buildings, don’t treat them like machines.

There is a difference between advertising and networking, develop networking. Be energetic, enthusiastic and passionate on line, tweet your enthusiasm to everybody out there. Passion breeds passion. What are the effective methods online to attract footfall to your site; make people interested in what you are doing. One approach is to create contests and special offers. For example:

1. Photo Contest on Facebook
2. Vote Contest on Twitter
3. Sweepstakes on Twitter
4. Video Contest on Facebook
5. Pinterest Tab on Facebook

Use Twitter/ Facebook and blog/website for these types of contests. Get a little crazy and creative – loosen up and have a bit of fun. Enjoy being with people, understand them a bit, know their needs and then offer them what they want. Usually done by connecting emotionally with the buyer - establish and maintain a connection between the property and the potential new customer.

We know that video upload has been around for a while. We’ve seen the cheesy “buy the property” videos and the nothing-more-than-slide-shows-set-to-music videos. Creative use of video, however, is a concept that is just starting to take off as more and more sales professionals begin to feel comfortable stepping away from the herd. Go ahead show your creativity here, come out with some great, different ideas and concepts, load them and make clients interested.

Videos, email marketing, mobile apps marketing, blog articles, and micro-blogging efforts should all be working in one concentrated effort, in order to get as many qualified, relevant visitors back to the main website as possible. Since the objective of all online marketing and social promotions is to drive traffic to the main website, we need to have a well-designed site that is easy to navigate. A well designed website should be both eye-catching and informative. We should be able to generate more leads than we know what to do with. Just remember, website should be working for us, not vice versa. If it is not then one needs to reassess the website and marketing strategies. Go ahead be creative.

Emerging Prime SEZ

Gwalpahari area of Gurgaon, where usual concrete jungle has not yet been planned or even proposed later; is a perfect location to stay and work amidst beautiful natural set up. It is like working in a resort and staying in a forest.

With Gurgaon expanding in all directions on Sohna road, New Gurgaon sec- 82 to 88 till manesar and Gurgaon extension etc…; we have never looked at this potential side of Gurgaon which abuts, rather is an extension of south Delhi, just adjoining Chattarpur farms.


With existing Gurgaon already exhausted, this Gwalpahari area is poised for more expansion and addition of commercial and residential complexes in the near future, the government is improving connectivity both within Gurgaon and between Gurgaon-Delhi-Faridabad. Wide link roads between Vasant Kunj- Mehrauli Road and Gurgaon and between Andheria Mor and Faridabad road through Mandi Road and Gwal Pahari are being improved. The 10-km road has wide service lanes on each side, with provisions for street-lighting, footpaths for pedestrians, road signage and street furniture. As this road is being constructed it has decongested the heavy vehicular traffic entering Gurgaon from Faridabad in order to reach the National Highway-8.

The road cuts through the Aravalli Hills to make the distance shorter between the Gurgaon-Faridabad bypass road and areas like Sohna and Manesar etc. The road starts at Gawal Pahari village and connect upto Ghata village. This not only eases traffic from Faridabad which otherwise used to enter Gurgaon at Genpact crossing on Golf Course Road to go to Southern Peripheral Road, NH-8, Sohna or Manesar and ahead but also is a faster link for the upcoming sectors 58 to 67.

Now the real estate development along Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, is in a boom phase. The scenic view of the Aravali hills and the valleys offered by the residential and IT- SEZ projects under construction in this area has ramped up the demand in this area. Already, this developing zone has a 9-hole golf course. The prevailing rate of housing projects here is in the range of Rs 7,500-10,500 per sq ft. Gurgaon-Faridabad Road is shaping up as a prime location for real estate development with fast connectivity and improving infrastructure. Projects like Valley View by Ansal API; ASF’s Isle- De- Royale, Residences; Ninaniya’s hotel project, IREO Group’s Gurgaon Hills, Krrish Group’s Province Estate, Paras’s Trade Centre, etc, have already been launched on this road. Ansal API is the first developer which has delivered a realty project in Sector 1 along the stretch, handed over for possession in 2008. It has 14 towers, lavishly designed, over 23 acres.

IREO Hills within this region, is a high-end exceptional post degree residency, all apartments are very well created by utilizing top quality associated with architectures. This developing realty region is proving to be a good residential location owing to its excellent connectivity with Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and South Delhi. The master plan of the area envisages a future Metro line, provision for wider roads, parks, along with a good combination of commercial and residential mix of projects. This stretch connects the economic centres of neighbouring states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. This road also connects Agra, Jaipur and other historical places of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Tourists coming from T3 airport or from Jaipur will also find Gurgaon-Faridabad Road highly convenient and time-saving for reaching tourist spots like Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan, etc.

The area is now one of the most sought-after IT SEZ destinations in the NCR. Saying this just to update about the ASF- Insignia complex, with 70 acres of lush green, existing SEZ in this area, is a lovely parcel of development, with already 1 million plus area up and operational, having IBM, Ericsson and TCS as major occupants and a unique residential project by the name of Isle De Royale, under construction, exclusively only for IT SEZ users.

Logix City Centre- A Brand New Universe

Today there are n number of commercial projects announced in Noida, many just on conception, others under planning, very few under construction, and actually how many will be delivered and as per commitment, no one can comment. Just bringing another commercial project in front, but one that is way ahead in construction and on time for its delivery and commitments. Setting a new benchmark for commercial projects in NCR, Logix City Center is one of the first mixed – use commercial projects planned in the heart of Noida city.

Strategically located at the City Centre in Sector 32 this is one of the largest green integrated commercial destinations with retail, hospitality and corporate offices.

Spread over 6 acres, Logix City Centre has over 7 lac sq ft of retail and entertainment, over 4 lac sq ft of premium corporate office towers along with 250 keys 5 Star Deluxe Hotel by Westin and 150 keys Business Hotel by Hilton Garden Inn. Logix brings the largest PVR Entertainment City hosting a 28 Lane Bowling Alley by Blu O, an Olympic Size Ice Skating Rink by Sub Zero and a 15 Screen State of the Art Multiplex by PVR, lavish Food Court by Food Union with Casual Dining Restaurants. The shopping experience would include premium national & international brands including fashion department store by Shopper’s Stop, large hypermarket by Hypercity. 

Destination par Excellence:
• Located at the nodal point of Noida city Center Planned by Noida Authority
• Great accessibility with roads of 45 & 75 mtrs on two sides.
• Well connected to all parts of Noida South, East & Centeral Delhi through road & metro line
• The Business Nebula, with 20 m green belt on both sides.
• Most coveted office address in NCR • Exclusive state-of-the-art corporate office space.
• Intelligently designed facilities providing long term infrastructure solutions.
• Super efficient floors equipped with modern corporate amenities like.
 • Hi tech business center:-   Actual Site Progress:

Yamuna Expressway – Upcountry Living

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Where the air is cleaner, the grass is greener, and there is almost always a rainbow to be found somewhere in the sky. No jokes, seriously, one should visit to explore more!!! The largest Upcountry community, as well as the closest to Noida, Gr. Noida and Delhi, offers country living at an affordable price, in a convenient location ideal for any commuter.



Homes on Yamuna e-way range from humble starter homes to beautiful new developments, bungalows to small farms and much more. It is an area with all modern facilities at your door step, like world class racing track- F1, cricket stadium, 600 acres of tech zone, state of art higher education universities, shopping malls and above all, planned and theme based townships. For the investors willing to reap good profits in the future, Yamuna Expressway is coming up as a suitable location to invest your money. Here, the buyers can get affordable properties along with the ones that resemble ultra-modern infrastructure. Many reputed developers like Supertech, Jaypee, Logix, Sunworld, 3C’s, HDIL, and Orris are coming up with exclusive projects at Yamuna Expressway.


Lot of investors from nearby cities like Agra, Ferozabad, Aligarh, Mathura etc are also considering Yamuna e-way for investment. NCR and Delhi prices have seen a rise of 64% in the last three years, and prices in suburbs of NCR have grown around 50%. Noida, Greater Noida, Gurgaon and Ghaziabad have witnessed around 50%, appreciation in the last three years. Areas like KP -3 and KP - 5 in Greater Noida have witnessed major growth in the past 3 to 4 years and this is set to accelerate once the high profile Yamuna Expressway sees real estate development with a faster pace. This will act as a catalyst to the real estate prices in the region with prices increasing faster than the last 2-3 years.

Happy Investing !!!

Set Yourself Apart in Real Estate Selling

As is the case with any kind of product selling, even in real estate, all it takes to succeed is a little common sense, some smart work and lots of hard work. For people who are ready to learn the ropes and get a hang of it eventually, property selling is a sure shot way to earn handsome returns. As a real estate selling professional, you will be able to set yourself apart through the proper use of real estate social media marketing. As far as marketing of your services goes, visibility is the key to sales and success. Ultimately you have to set yourself apart from other salesmen and how is that possible?

Did you ever wonder why some Salespeople get all the business? It seems like they know everything about the product, as well as mastery of the sales skills. Wouldn't it be great if we had a plan to accomplish that could ensure a conversion? Plan is YOU, yourself, we need to work only on our self and that is something which is in our control. Just think otherwise also what else is in our control?? You’ll need to distinguish yourself…YOU and what you stand for…before you'll see success in real estate selling.

Personal branding is now more important than ever in communities. People are buying you. If I don't like you, I'm not only NOT going to buy from you, but I am blocking you and telling all my friends what I think of you too. That's the power of social networking. We all talk, and word of mouth can be your best friend or your worst enemy. When we buy something for our self we tend to look for things that are a little different than what everyone else is buying. I may like the main idea behind a trending product, but generally I don't want to be just like everyone else. I'm weird that way. You're selling yourself and YOUR personality, so be different. Be liked, or be hated, but be the best you can be at either! Choose Who/What You Promote Wisely: Another old saying to remember is, you are who your friends are. Like it or not, who you associate with or the products you promote all affect the perception people have of you. The image I want to display is one of authenticity and professionalism. And by professionalism I mean knowing my stuff and calling things as they really are.

  You will never get people to really like you for who you are if you are never really YOU in front of them. Market yourself as authentic you. Like people. Smile. Care. Listen. Learn. Share. In the process you'll find that opportunity to promote your products but what people will remember is YOU. By the way, if you don't find fulfillment or happiness in what you do, you might as well go back to having a job which you love to do, specially sales is to fall in love with the product yourself first, to be happy selling it, enjoying it every minute. What makes you decide to buy from someone? What quality or perception did you pick up that made you say yes to that person? How can you adapt the same qualities into your own personal branding plan of action? Can you see where you can do things differently now? Please share your comments below.