DBT Bureau
Bengaluru, 1 February 2025
Industry experts in the real estate industry have welcomed the measures in the Union Budget 2025, which gives special focus on consumption.
Here are some of the commentaries:
1- Anuj Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Group
The Union Budget focused on economic expansion, infrastructure development, MSMEs, futuristic cities, and middle-class welfare and brings substantial relief for the middle class. It also aims to stimulate rural consumption – an essential step toward unlocking India’s economic potential.
From a real estate perspective, the budget delivers both direct and indirect benefits, acting as a catalyst for growth. However, a notable shortfall was the absence of major announcements for the affordable housing sector, leaving stakeholders disappointed.
Despite this, the budget overall remains strong and growth-oriented, with a clear focus on economic development and enhanced consumption. Key takeaways for the real estate sector include:
Key Announcements Impacting Real Estate
- Income Tax Relief for the Middle Class – The Finance Minister announced zero income tax for individuals earning up to INR 12 lakh annually, providing a major consumption boost. This move is also expected to strengthen demand for affordable housing. Additionally, the new income tax bill will retain nearly 50% of existing provisions while introducing personal tax reforms and rationalizing TDS and TCS regimes by streamlining rates and thresholds.
- Tax Benefits for Residential Property Investors – Investors can now claim Nil valuation for two self-occupied properties, instead of just one – a positive move for residential real estate investment. The simplified TDS on rent decreases the compliance burden and enhances liquidity for landlords and will positively impact the rental housing market, especially in metro cities. Previously, homeowners could claim only one self-occupied property as tax-free; now, they can claim two – thereby removing taxation on notional rental income from a second home. This step minimizes tax pressures, promotes homeownership, and facilitates real estate investment, especially in second homes and Tier 2 and 3 cities. Middle-class homebuyers, landlords, and investors can now benefit from reduced tax liabilities, better affordability, and less compliance hassles. By simplifying financial constraints and tax rules, the budget has made property ownership and rental housing more accessible. This gives a significant fillip to the real estate sector, specifically to and housing demand.
- INR 1 Lakh Crore Urban Challenge Fund for New-Age Cities – The establishment of this massive urban development fund will enhance infrastructure, unlock real estate potential, and transform cities into major growth hubs.
- SWAMIH Fund Allocation of INR 15,000 Crore – This initiative will facilitate the completion of over 1 lakh stalled residential units, providing much-needed relief to homebuyers, especially in the National Capital Region (NCR).
- Revamped UDAAN Scheme to Improve Connectivity – The restructured UDAAN scheme aims to connect 120 new destinations and serve over 4 crore passengers in the next decade. Greenfield airports in Bihar and other regions will be developed to support this expansion. This enhanced connectivity is expected to boost real estate demand in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
- PM Gati Shakti Data Access for Private Sector & Tourism & Warehousing Infrastructure Boost – The government will open PM Gati Shakti data to private players, while 50 top tourist destinations will be developed in collaboration with state governments. Additionally, hotels will be included in the harmonized scheme for tourism infrastructure, leading to enhanced real estate opportunities in major tourist hubs. This will also benefit the warehousing sector across the country.
- Support for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) – A national guidance framework will be introduced to help states attract and promote GCCs, strengthening India’s position as a global business hub. Given India’s rising economic influence, this move is expected to fuel office space demand in major metros like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai, as well as Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
- INR 1.5 Lakh Crore Fiscal Support for MSMEs – The allocation of INR 1.5 lakh crore to MSMEs is expected to spur capacity expansion, creating a ripple effect that will positively impact industrial real estate.
While the affordable housing sector saw fewer direct benefits, the budget is, overall, pro-growth, infrastructure-driven, and investment-oriented. The focus on middle-class relief, urban development, and connectivity is expected to stimulate real estate demand across various segments, making it an overall progressive and impactful budget.
2- Ramani Sastri – Chairman & MD, Sterling Developers
The government’s concentrated efforts on infrastructure development promises to significantly enhance housing demand and benefit around 250 ancillary industries, generating numerous job opportunities and bolstering overall economic growth. The establishment of the India Infrastructure Fund and emphasis on Public-Private partnership for infrastructure in the budget is also a game-changer for the real estate industry. The establishment of an Urban Challenge Fund of Rs 1 lakh crore will fuel the ongoing momentum in rebuilding urban infrastructure and drive greater demand for real estate in the urban and semi-urban areas. SWAMIH Fund 2 is a much welcome step and will definitely help complete a number of stranded projects, thereby meeting the housing demand and enhance liquidity in the real estate sector.
Also, the change announced in Budget 2025 allowing taxpayers to claim the annual value of two self-occupied properties as zero will provide significant tax relief, reduces compliance burdens, and encourages homeownership by making it more affordable for middle-class families, without having to pay income tax on notional rental values of self-occupied homes. While the budget has lent an indirect boost to real estate, it could have fulfilled a few other key expectations for the sector. The budget could have also offered a degree of relief to first-time homebuyers to stimulate the real estate sector. Going forward, the sector is in urgent need of tax breaks, single-window clearance, industry status tag etc which remains paramount for sustaining the upward trajectory of the Indian real estate market.
3-Manas Mehrotra, Founder, 315Work Avenue, a leading coworking firm
The Union Budget 2025 has laid strong focus to drive India’s infrastructure growth, with significant investments which will push both residential and commercial real estate demand. The focus on making cities growth hubs will impart a massive fillip to the commercial real estate sector. With corporates & MNCs keen on setting up and expanding office establishments in the high-growth metros, coworking sector will benefit hugely from this initiative, thereby expanding presence across the country. The push for Global Capacity Centres in tier 2 cities will boost overall real estate investment in these areas, making them prime locations for future company expansions, thereby giving a massive boost to coworking firms.
The government’s announcement of a Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) is poised to significantly bolster India’s startup ecosystem and generating huge demand for coworking sector, as essential hubs for innovation. The announcement of a committee to review and recommend new reforms to enhance the ease of doing business will significantly streamline regulations, improve efficiency, and attract investments. Overall, huge allocation for upgrading urban infrastructure will translate into enhanced connectivity and better facilities for co-working hubs. Going forward, we hope that the government looks at addressing regulatory concerns and encouraging more coworking firms to open-up through a series of both financial and non-financial incentives and ensure faster economic growth.
