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November 30, 2006

Ascendas real estate fund buys Cyber Pearl IT Park in Hyderabad | INRnews

Hyderabad, November 30, 2006 :  Ascendas India IT Parks Trust, a $350-million private real estate fund, has purchased L& T Infocity Ascendas Limited (LTIAL) owners of the Cyber Pearl IT Park in Hitec City in Hyderabad. The fund was set up by business space provider Ascendas.

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Accor to develop hotels in India | INRnews

New Delhi, November 30, 2006 : As part of its global development strategy aiming at opening 200,000 new hotel rooms by 2010, of which 60% in emerging markets, Accor has signed today significant partnerships that trigger a major expansion in India. This expansion plan covers the full spectrum of the hotel market in India, including budget Formule 1 hotels, economy Ibis hotels, mid-market Novotel hotels and upper-upscale Sofitel properties.

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NRI investment in Indian housing and real estate | INRnews

New Delhi, November 30, 2006 : The Government of India has put in place a liberal and transparent policy for investment from overseas Indians.  Most of the sectors are open to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under the automatic route.

Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) can invest upto 100% under the automatic route in the Housing and Real Estate Development for the following activities.

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November 27, 2006

FDI’s share in Indian real estate to touch 26% By March 2007 | INRNews

New Delhi, November 27, 2006 : FDI’s share in domestic real estate market will touch about 26% by March 2007, 10% higher than levels of 16% for fiscal 2005-06. This is expected to be driven by the growing interest of global real estate players in the Indian real estate market and increasing demand for office space particularly in IT & BPO.

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November 23, 2006

US$8 billion to flow into Indian real estate funds | INRnews

Bangalore, November 23, 2006 : After the government’s relaxation of foreign direct investment (FDI) norms for the real estate sector in early 2005, the real estate sector has seen a foray of real estate fund launches. Sizable investments are expected to flow into these funds according to real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

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November 15, 2006

India's retail revolution begins | INRnews

Hyderabad, November 15, 2006 - If India's much anticipated retail revolution has a start date, it could well be the first week of November 2006. On November 3, in a classic RIL move marked by scale and ambition, Reliance Retail launched 11 Reliance Fresh retail outlets simultaneously in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, firing the first salvo in what will be a keenly contested battle to win a huge prize - nothing less than the wallets of Indian consumers!

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November 14, 2006

Quantum fund buys stake in real estate developer Ansal API | INRnews

New Delhi, November 14, 2006 - The Quantum Fund promoted by George Soros has purchased 1% of real estate developer Ansal API for Rs 25 crore. The purchase has been made from the secondary markets. Ansal API has very recently raised Rs 175.8 crore through a 5% private placement with Citigroup. The HDFC Realty Fund has also invested Rs 50 crore in Ansal API.

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Xander, Old Lane, Morgan Stanley, Evolvence to invest in Indian Real Estate | INRnews

Mumbai, November 14, 2006 : Significant investments have been announced in Indian Real Estate by Xander Real Estate Partners, private equity firm Old Lane, Morgan Stanley Real Estate and Evolvence Capital.

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November 10, 2006

Leverage India Fund invests Rs 17.50 crore in Digital Shoppy | INRnews

Hyderabad, November 10, 2006 :  Digital Shoppy, a retail chain of stores for consumer electronics and home appliances in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, today announced that the Company has concluded a private equity placement of Rs. 17.50 crores with Leverage India Fund managed by IL&FS Investment Managers Limited (IIML), one of India's largest private equity firms.

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November 06, 2006

Investor perception and risk management in retail real estate | INRnews

Bangalore, November 06, 2006 : Ambar Maheshwari, investment advisory director of global real estate adviser DTZ in India looks at the issues surrounding investment in retail real estate.

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Finance Minister clears 32 FDI proposals including one for Real Estate | INRnews

New Delhi, November 6, 2006 - Union Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram has approved 32 Foreign Direct Investment proposals recommended by Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in its meeting held on 20th October, 2006. The approvals amount to Rs. 249.81 crore. The proposals relate to multiple Ministries/Departments, with the major investment proposals pertaining to the departments of Commerce, Economic affairs, Heavy Industry and Information & Broadcasting.

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November 02, 2006

easyHotel to set up budget hotels in India | INRnews

Dubai, November 02, 2006 : easyHotel, part of the easyGroup of companies founded by serial entrepreneur Stelios Haji-Ioannou, is planning to start eight hotels in India with Dubai-based Istithmar Hotels. The no-frills, budget hotels will come up in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad by 2009. Istithmar will develop, own and operate the 120 to 200 room easyHotels in India.

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November 01, 2006

NRIs allowed to remit up to $1 million from property sales annually | INRnews

Mumbai, November 01, 2006 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its mid-term review of monetary policy has allowed non resident Indians (NRI) to remit abroad up to $1 million per year from the sale of immovable property in India. Until now, NRIs and people of Indian origin were required to lock-in sale proceeds in their non-resident ordinary accounts for a few years.

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October 28, 2006

Investments in India's hotel sector attractive | INRnews

Mumbai, October 28, 2006 : The booming hospitality sector in India is seeing increased interest from domestic and foreign players keen to invest in hotel, resorts and serviced apartment development.

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October 27, 2006

Parsvnath IPO to value the real estate company at $1.2 Billion | INRnews

Mumbai, October 27, 2006 :  Real estate developer Parsvnath Developers could be valued at $1.2 Billion based on its proposed IPO price band of Rs. 250-300 rupees per share. The company plans to raise $220 million from the capital markets by selling 18.3% of its post-issue capital. The Parsvanath IPO is open from Nov 6-10.

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October 21, 2006

Indian Real Estate Sector – Land Calling | INRnews

Mumbai, October 20, 2006 : India Infoline, one of the leading financial services companies in India, has released a tome on India’s Real Estate sector covering Tier I, II and III cities. According to the research, "Indian Real Estate - Land Calling" the Indian real estate market size is estimated at US$12bn and limited institutional participation does not truly reflect the future potential of the market.

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October 18, 2006

Trinity Capital PLC to invest in £215 million IT Park, Greater Noida

New Delhi, October 18, 2006: Trinity Capital PLC has announced the acquisition of a stake in an Information Technology Park project in Greater Noida. Trinity has committed £28.3 million to the project. The initial tranche comprises £10.3 million and a second tranche of £10.1 million will be due in November 2006.  A further £7.37 million of equity will be invested into the development of the project.  The total cost of the development is expected to be £215 million which will be financed through a mix of debt and pre-construction sales.

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October 12, 2006

Trinity Capital PLC to invest £11.6 million in Mumbai residential project with Lokhandwala

October 12, 2006 : Trinity Capital PLC announced that the asset manager of its Fund, Trikona Capital (‘Trikona’), has entered into a partnership with Lokhandwala Builders, a Mumbai based real estate developer, to undertake a residential project in Mumbai. Trinity has acquired 49% of the equity in this venture for a consideration of £11.6 million.

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October 09, 2006

ASSOCHAM For 49% FDI In Retail Sector

New Delhi, October 09, 2006:  While the domestic industry is opposed to 100% foreign equity in the fast growing retail sector, the overwhelming majority of the domestic firms are keen on allowing 49% FDI in a calibrated manner, according to ASSOCHAM.

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October 06, 2006

Mahindra Gesco closes US$ 105 million QIP issuance

Mumbai, October 6, 2006 :  Mahindra Gesco Developers Limited (MGDL), one of the leading real estate and infrastructure developers in India has successfully closed its US $ 105 million Qualified Institutional Placement ("QIP").

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October 05, 2006

Trinity Capital PLC Acquires strategic stake in ITNL

October 5, 2006 : Trinity Capital PLC announced that it has acquired a 2.5% shareholding for £4.8 million in IL&FS Transportation & Networks Limited (“ITNL”) which is 90% owned by Infrastructure Leasing and Finance Services Limited, (“IL&FS”) one of India's leading financial institutions.

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September 27, 2006

Modi invites Japanese companies to set up SEZ in Gujarat | INRnews

Ahmedabad, September 27, 2006 : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today invited Japanese investors and industrialists to set up exclusive Special Economic Zones on the 1600 km long coastline of the State.

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September 25, 2006

Foreign Venture Capital set to invest in Indian Real Estate market

Mumbai, September 25, 2006:  The long wait appears to be near an end for Foreign VC funds who have been keen on investing in the Indian Realty sector and are awaiting approval from RBI.

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Hyundai and suppliers to invest $1.5 billion in India

New Delhi, September 25, 2006: Carmaker Hyundai Motor Co announced significant expansion plans in India. The company plans to invest over $900 million to beef up its facilities in the country and expects its affiliates and suppliers to invest close to $600 million in addition. The investment would go towards a car, engine, transmission plant and an R&D Centre.

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September 21, 2006

Goldman Sachs to invest in Indian real estate

New Delhi, September 21, 2006: Goldman Sachs CEO Brooks Entwistle has said that the company plans to invest $1 billion in India over the next two years. A key focus area of the investment would be real estate and infrastructure amongst other sectors. Mr. Entwistle was in India for the India Leadership Initiative conference in New Delhi. Mr. Entwistle said, "That's putting our own capital to work in this market."

Goldman Sachs terminated its joint venture with Kotak Mahindra Bank earlier this year signaling its intent to go it alone in this "very important market". Goldman has over 1,000 people working in India in Mumbai and Bangalore.

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India to see increased share of cross border real estate investment

Mumbai: 21st September, 2006: Speaking on Real Estate from a Global Perspective, Dr. Seek Ngee Huat, President, Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) Real Estate Pte Ltd, Singapore informed that cross border investment increased from 29% in 2004 to 35% in 2005 reaching US$ 164 billion, with Asia Pacific seeing the strongest growth at 56% in 2005. Dr. Seek said that there would be a surge in cross border real estate investment activities globally where by, the share for emerging markets like India is likely to grow.

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Govt to look at permitting foreign investors to tap the capital market pre-IPO in Indian real estate sector

Mumbai: 21st September, 2006: Inaugurating the FICCI - International Real Estate Summit 2006 , the Union Minister for Urban Development, Mr. S Jaipal Reddy highlighted the importance of the unique Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission in the backdrop of an inevitable urbanization that is taking place. He said, “Growth rates in the urban sector will keep shooting up for many years, we expect 40% of people in India to move to urban India by 2025.”

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September 15, 2006

Foriegn Direct Investing in Indian Real Estate | INRnews

Mumbai, September 15, 2006 : Foreign Investment in Indian real estate remains controlled, but the opportunities are immense according to B.Srinivas, National Manager, Capital Markets Group, Cushman & Wakefield India.

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September 12, 2006

Eredene Capital Fund invests in Nashik mall

UK-based Eredene Capital Fund has invested in an 800,000 sq.ft. mall in Nashik city in Maharashtra. The fund has taken a 50% stake in the property and expects to make a 40% return on its investment. The mall will be ready in 2008 and has already got tenants such as Fab India, McDonalds and Pantaloon.

September 11, 2006

Pune to house new Volkswagen plant

The city of Pune has bagged a major manufacturing project - auto major Volkswagen is to locate its new car plant at Chakan outside the city. The company has been given approval for 400-acres of land for the manufacturing site to be handed over by November.

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September 08, 2006

HDFC gets approval for $720 million India property fund

HDFC has got approval for a property fund that is to raise $720 million from overseas investors. The money will be raised through India Offshore Real Estate Investments, a Mauritius based entity. In addition, $30 million is planned to be raised from the domestic market.

September 07, 2006

Suzuki-Nissan JV to set up $1.5 bn car plant in Manesar, Haryana

A Suzuki-Nissan JV proposal to set up a 350,000-car unit in Manesar, Haryana has been submitted to the government.

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September 05, 2006

Citigroup to invest in Indian real estate

Citigroup Property Investors will partner with Gera Development in a $125 million real estate project in Pune. The residential development would include construction of 600 apartments, a country club and a hotel according to Rohit Gera, executive director of Gera Development. The project will be completed in four years time.

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JP Morgan India Property Fund targets 20% return (External Article)

JP Morgan India Property fund is targeting returns of 20% with investments in residential, office, retail, warehousing and hospitality sectors as well as secondary cities such as Chandigarh, Nagpur, Vizag, Mangalore and Kochi. This was stated by its managing director, Mr.Arvind Pahwa in an interview with Hindu Business Line.

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September 04, 2006

Israeli companies to invest in Indian real estate starting with Chennai

Two Israeli companies, The IDB Group's subsidiary company Property & Building and Electra Real Estate are to form a JV to invest $100 million in the Indian real estate and property market. The JV will focus on the construction of thousands of residential units as well as commercial and office space in Chennai and other areas. While the two companies will hold 45% stake each, a third Israeli company will hold the remaining 10%.

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September 01, 2006

Indian real estate major DLF delays IPO plans

Indian real estate developer DLF has postponed its IPO that was expected to raise $3.5 Billion for a 12.8% share in the company. The IPO was expected to be the largest in India's capital market history.

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August 30, 2006

India receives Rs.594.33 crore FDI in real estate

In a written reply made to the Lok Sabha, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Kumari Selja said that Rs.594.33 crores of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been received for the Indian real estate sector from Jan 2004 to April 2006. The sector includes housing, real estate development and infrastructure. The funds were received mostly from Canada, China, Germany, Russia, Singapore, US and UK.

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August 25, 2006

Indian Realty Funds till keeps ringing

There is a lot of money being raised for investment in the realty sector. About $3 billion to $4 billion at last count. And there are a lot of repected banks and fund managers who have already begun making investments in real estate-based firms and in real estate opportunites. Indian institutional investors are HDFC, Kotak, IL&FS while international bigwigs include Calpers, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, CLSA, Deutsche group and Warburg Pincus.

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Kolkata real estate sees foreign interest

International Infrastructure Limited (IIL) has just received Rs.30 crore as direct investment from American based firm, New Vernon Private Equity. IIL is behind Globsyn Crystals, the latest infotech park in Kolkata that it jointly promotes with the Globsyn Group. The Infotech Park is the first in the country to have an attrition-free working environment. Development costs are expected to be Rs.100 crores with the project to be completed by September 2007.

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August 24, 2006

Bullish on real estate in the South (External Article)

ICICI Venture fund manager, Kishore Gotety who manages a $550 million fund focused on Indian realty is bullish on opportunities in the South particularly in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. In an interview in FinanceAsia he opines that real estate opportunities in India witnessed so far are only the tip of the iceberg.

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August 16, 2006

Significant risks inherent in the Indian real estate capital market: Deutsche Bank Research

There are significant risks inherent in the Indian real estate capital market, which, though presently small, has managed to achieve a remarkable growth momentum, especially in the private equity and debt markets, said a Deutsche Bank Research report.

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August 06, 2006

Kotak to invest in real estate in Gujarat

The Kotak Group has plans to create a Rs.2,000 realty venture fund, according to Uday Kotak, executive vice-chairman and managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank. The group has already raised Rs.500 crore from the market and is raising another $300 - 350 million through the FIPB route.

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August 03, 2006

Kotak Real Estate Fund to invest Rs 400 crore in Gujarat

Kotak Real Estate fund is looking to invest Rs. 400 crore out of a proposed corpus of Rs. 2,000 crore in real estate in Gujarat. The real estate investments would be in areas such as SEZs, townships, residential and commercial complexes and hotels. Kotak finds the Gujarat realty market attractive,as prices are relatively cheap as compared to other markets in the country.

See other FDI / Investment News on INRnews.com

August 02, 2006

$160 million Indiareit real estate venture capital fund floated

Indiareit, the real estate venture capital fund promoted by Piramal Enterprises, is to launch a $160 million offshore fund with a $40 million commitment by European private equity firm 3i. The fund will partner with developers in residential and commercial projects as well as SEZs.

August 01, 2006

West Bengal government inks infrastructure deal with Salim group led consortium

The West Bengal government has signed an agreement with a Salim group led consortium for setting up mega infrastructure projects in the state. The agreement was signed between the state government, WBIDC, and the New Kolkata International Development Pvt Ltd - a SPV promoted by Indonesian Salim group together with the Universal Success group and Unitech.

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July 28, 2006

HDFC to raise $720 mn overseas for realty fund

HDFC plans to raise $720 million internationally for a new real estate fund. Proceeds raised from international investors - both individual and institutional - will be deployed in projects in India like SEZs, industrial parks, hotels, and residential/commercial property.

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July 21, 2006

South Asia Real Estate fund to list on London's AIM

A new fund targeting the residential property market in India is preparing to float on London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The South Asia Real Estate (Sare) fund led by Anuj Gupta, an Indian who has lived in Britain for ten years, aims to raise £125 million in a listing this month on the AIM. It plans to invest the money with property developers targeting burgeoning residential demand from IT workers.

The fund is open to institutional investors only. The flotation on the AIM follows one by Eredene Capital last year that raised £57 million for real estate investment in India. Eredene, is chaired by Sir Christopher Benson, former chairman of Boots. Eredene is close to its first deals likely to be land acquisitions for shopping malls and residential complexes. Eredene is focusing on secondary cities and outskirts of major cities.

July 17, 2006

Morgan Stanley Real Estate invests Rs. 300 Crores (around US$65 million) in Alpha G:Corp

MUMBAI, July 17, 2006 -- Morgan Stanley Real Estate today announced that it has invested approximately Rs. 300 Crores ( around US$65 million ) in Alpha G:Corp Development Private Limited ( “Alpha” ), a private New Delhi-based real estate development management company and an affiliate of the G:Corp Group.

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June 27, 2006

HDFC India Real Estate Fund to invest in L&T's Urban Infrastructure venture

L&T Infrastructure Development Projects Limited (L&T-IDPL) and L&T Urban Infrastructure Limited (L&T-UIL) have signed definitive agreements to raise Rs. 95 crore by way of equity and quasi-equity from Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) and HDFC India Real Estate Fund (HIREF). HDFC will hold 14.9% equity and HIREF will hold 10.1% equity in L&T-UIL.

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June 26, 2006

SEBI Board approves guidelines for Real Estate Mutual Funds in India

Mumbai, June 26, 2006: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Board at its meeting held today in Mumbai approved the guidelines for Real Estate Mutual Funds (REMFs). Real Estate Mutual Fund Scheme means a scheme of a mutual fund which has investment objective to invest directly or indirectly in real estate property and shall be governed by the provisions and guidelines under SEBI (Mutual Funds) regulations.  The structure of the REMFs, initially, shall be close ended. The units of REMFs shall be compulsorily listed on the stock exchanges and NAV of the scheme shall be declared daily.

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Malaysian real estate developer Dijaya looks to expand in India

Petaling Jaya: Developer Dijaya Corp Bhd is looking to expand its business overseas, especially to India in the future, as the company has begun scouting for opportunities in the sub-continent’s north, east and central regions.

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Jones Lang LaSalle Identifies Indian Realty as Big Potential Winner in Global Investor Stakes

NEW DELHI, India,June 26, 2006--India's real estate investment market has grown rapidly over the past 18 months, and following the partial relaxation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regulations in February 2005, the country is now attracting substantial interest from cross-border real estate investors. A World Winning Cities report titled "India: A Real Estate Investment Future," released by Jones Lang LaSalle underlines the attractiveness of the Indian realty as an investment opportunity, underpinned by a booming and increasingly diversified economy, significant potential for rapid expansion in FDI and a maturing real estate market.

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June 04, 2006

$450 million real estate fund to invest in Tier II cities in India

TCG Real Estate, the real estate division of The Chatterjee Group, is  looking at investment in commercial, retail as well as large residential projects such as townships. The fund is looking at investment in not just the metros but also Tier II cities like Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Indore, Jaipur and Coimbatore.

The Chatterjee Group (TCG), is a private equity firm, headquartered in New York - USA, with over USD 2.5 billion in strategic investments. The firm is soon to close a US$450 million real estate investment fund focused on investment in India.

May 28, 2006

India needs over US$150 billion in infrastructure investment

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that India needs over US$150 billion in infrastructure investment in the next few years. He was speaking at the annual meeting of the board of governors of the Asian Development Bank. While India's investment rate was 31% of GDP currently, this is likely to increase in the coming years accompanied by significant foreign investment in the infrastructure sector.

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May 21, 2006

The sheiks are coming: Indian real estate on a magic carpet

Chennai, May 19 - Middle East real estate giants are closely examining Indian shores. Hardly surprising,given the close business and people links between India and the desert kingdoms. For decades, Indian labour, both skilled and unskilled, worked the mid-east route. Now, Arab dollars are coming this way - in billions.

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May 18, 2006

DLF seeks to transform organisation ahead of IPO

DLF has made changes in its Board of Directors prior to the IPO. Rana Talwar, formerly the head of Standard Chartered Bank globally, and also the son in law of DLF owner KP Singh has been inducted into the board at DLF. Four independent directors have also been appointed to the baord including MM Sabharwal, ex-chairman of Bata, DV Kapur, ex-chairman Reliance Power, Ravinder Narain and KN Memani.

The company has also significantly enhanced its employee talent pool with the hiring of almost 200 managers in the last six months.

Consulting firm McKinsey has recently been hired by DLF group to effect a change in work culture and business practises at the real estate gian.

These moves appear to be aimed at preparing for the IPO and also in driving the transformation of DLF into a world-class company.

DLF is expected to raise between $3-3.5 Billion in an initial public offering that would offer up to a 12.8% stake in the company. The offer document indicates that the company plans to issue 202 million shares with an option to sell another 17 million shares. Jones Lang LaSalle, a leading property consultant, has valued its 228 million square feet holdings at approximately $19 Billion.

DLF plans to utilise the funds for further land acquisition, retiring debts, on-going construction, and its foray into development in the SEZ and hospitality sectors.

Parsvanath Developers real estate IP to raise Rs. 1,600 crores

Parsvanath Developers is to hit the capital market with its Rs. 1,600 crore IPO. Shares are likely to be priced at Rs. 480. The company plans to dilute approximately 25% of its paid-up capital by issuing 3.3 crore fresh shares to the public.

The company is a leading developer with projects in Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon. The company has bought land auctioned by Delhi Metro Projects. It plans to use the IPO proceeds for real estate projects in various parts of the country.

Analysts expect that real estate issues will be over subscribed given the large interest in this sector. Foreign institutional investors will be able to invest in this issue after ruls governing investment in real investment were modified.

May 14, 2006

Warburg Pincus to invest in Real Estate in India

Private equity firm Warburg Pincus is negotiating for several real estate investment opportunities in India according to its Managing Director in India, Rajesh Khanna. Quoted in the New York Times, he said "We see ourselves investing a few hundred million dollars in real estate in India over the next couple of years". In the last year, Warburg Pincus has dedicated a third of its resources in the country toward creating and evaluating real estate investment opportunities.

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May 13, 2006

Urban Infrastructure Opportunities Fund to raise Rs. 250 crores for real estate investment in India

The Urban Infrastructure Opportunities Fund (UIOF) is a new fund floated by Anand Jain for investment in real estate and retail projects in India. The fund, with an initial corpus of Rs. 250 crores, will invest in housing, retail malls and multiplexes, IT parks and commercial property across the country.

Reliance Industries is investing Rs. 200 crores in UIOF.  The fund opens for subscription soon and is targeting an initial corpus of Rs. 250 crores. The minimum investment limit is Rs 1 crore for individuals, Rs 2.5 crore for corporates and Rs 10 crore for banks and financial institutions.

TCG - Vornado Realty of the US partner for large real estate projects in India

TCG Real Estate (TCGRE), promoted by Purnendu Chatterjee, has tied up with the $25billion US-based Vornado Realty Trust for investment in large format projects like special economic zones (SEZs) and special economic regions (SERs).  TCG - Vornado has bid for the proposed 330-acre IT hub at Jagdishpur, near Kolkata airport, and New Town, Rajarhat. The company is also planning an SEZ in West Bengal and is looking at Haldia, Durgapur, Burdwan and Siliguri as possible locations. 

TCG has so far focused on construction of IT parks.  Based on current projects and those under execution, the company would have a floor area of 9.8 million square feet by 2009-10 up from 900,000 square feet in 2005-06.

DLF Universal files draft prospectus for widely anticipated realty IPO

DLF Universal Ltd., a leading real estate developer in India, filed a draft prospectus with SEBI to enter the capital market with an initial public offering of 202 million shares. The company also retained the option to sell an additional 17 million shares. Including the additional shares, the sale would constitute 12.77% of the post-issue capital of the company.

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May 11, 2006

Rreef - Db Real Estate plans $300 mn fund for property investment in India

Rreef/Db Real Estate, a unit of Deutsche Bank AG, plans to start a $300 million global fund to invest in Indian property.

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May 08, 2006

I would choose Indian equities, Indian real estate, and Indian art over assets in the US - Marc Faber

"If a gun were put to my head and I was asked to choose between two options - putting all my assets into the US or into India - I would choose Indian equities, Indian real estate, and Indian art. The reason behind this choice is partly my strong conviction that US assets will continue to decline relative to assets overseas, and partly because I can see that India may be at the beginning of a lasting economic take-off phase" - Marc Faber.

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April 25, 2006

Significant capital inflows drive real estate in India

The real estate sector in India is on upturn. In the last 24 months, there has been an unprecedented growth wherein the overall market has seen a 35 to 40% jump in capital values. Research estimates say that the real estate market is expected to grow from the current $14 billion to $102 billion in the next 10 years. The key catalysts for growth include increasing purchasing power with rising incomes, access to low cost loans, supply side constraints and a significant inflow of capital and investment into the sector both from domestic and international investors.

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April 23, 2006

Hindujas line up $1 bn realty fund

The Hinduja group, which holds significant land parcels in southern India, is foraying into realty with the launch of two dedicated real estate funds. The first, a dollar fund, will be of $1-billion with large investments from West Asia, the US and the UK. The second fund is a smaller domestic fund of $300-400 million. The Hindujas themselves were expected to pick up 10 per cent in both funds as well as provide the land for the projects, group sources said.

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April 22, 2006

JP Morgan plans Rs 1500 crore fund for real estate investment in India

An asset management company of JP Morgan Chase & Co is contemplating a Rs 1,500 crore fund for investing in the Indian real estate sector soon, JP Morgan, head - real estate investment banking, Anthony Ryan said.

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April 16, 2006

Private Equity players enter real estate in India

Flush with funds, private equity players are looking for investment opportunities in real estate. Morgan Stanley Real Estate invested $68 mn in Mantri Developers and Siachen Investments $100 mn in Nitesh Investments. New York-based private equity firm The Chatterjee Group is also planning to raise $450 million to invest in commercial real estate in India. Britain's Trinity Capital has also expressed interest to pump in funds into the sector.

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Real trends: The boom continues for real estate in India

According to this ET article, real estate in India is booming. Year 2006 started on a promising note when the Government of India provided fresh impetus to the construction and development sector by allowing 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) under the ‘automatic route’ in order to spur investment in the vital infrastructure sector.

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CalPERS to invest in Indian Property

Various news reports indicate that the biggest US pension fund, California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), is on the verge of making its first property investments in India, as it looks overseas to spend a growing allocation for property. In India, which does meet CalPERS stock investment criteria, the fund will contribute around $100-400 million for building housing in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

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UK Company raises £250m to invest in Indian property

Michael Cassidy, the property lawyer who used to lead the City Corporation, has raised £250m to invest in property in India. He is expected to say this week that Trinity Capital, which he chairs, will list on the junior Aim market within the next few days following a successful round of fund raising. It will be the first UK publicly quoted company to focus on the fast-growing Indian real estate market. Trinity will raise 60 per cent debt finance on deals, giving it £400m to spend. Lehman Brothers, the bank, and Wachovia, the US financial giant, may be co-investors on some deals. Some $11.5bn (£6.6bn) is invested in the India real estate market each year but this is expected to grow to $90bn within 10 years' time as foreign participation increases.

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April 14, 2006

India opens up to real estate investors

A PWC report indicates that the real estate market in India is on a high growth curve. Property development has surged in India driven by an annual doubling in demand for office space driven by the IT sector in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. Recent policy measures have also opened up foreign investment in the real estate sector, which for a long time lacked institutional funding support.

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