Lackluster Budget for Housing - Akash Pharande, Managing Director - Pharande Spaces

1 Feb 2024 , 01:10 PM

While the expectations included industry status, tax benefits, affordable housing boosts, and easing liquidity issues for developers, none of these materialized in the interim budget.

However, there are a few ways we could interpret the situation cautiously optimistically:

– Indirect benefits: The focus on infrastructure spending might indirectly benefit the housing industry by improving connectivity and boosting overall economic activity, potentially leading to increased demand.
– Focus on affordable housing: While lacking specific budget allocations, the government’s recent emphasis on ‘Housing for All’ and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) could translate into concrete measures later.
– Uncertainty avoided: The absence of negative changes may be seen as a positive in an environment where economic headwinds exist.

This is only the interim budget, and the main Union Budget in February will hold more substantial announcements. Even without direct intervention, government policies impacting interest rates, inflation, and economic growth can significantly influence the housing industry.