NRI's Optimistic about Indian Real Estate after Elections

Investors from the UAE are increasingly looking to put their money in India’s real estate in view of the country’s positive environment and long-term growth potential, a financial services company told Gulf News.

ASK Group, which earlier launched funds that are focused on residential real estate in India, has received encouraging response and is bullish to attract a large interest from investors, especially high networth clients, in the UAE.

The company focuses on institutional investments, such as fund of funds, sovereign funds, endowment funds and family offices, which are advisory firms that serve affluent households. It currently seeks to raise $200 million (Dh735 million) offshore fund to be able to invest in housing developments in India.

“Family offices currently are more proactive in participating in India growth story and we hope the process of institutional investors has begun. [We’ve] got encouraging response from family offices and could able to close more than 50 per cent of the fund from UAE currently,” said Sunil Rohokale, managing director and CEO of ASK Group.

Rohokale said both non-resident Indians and citizens in the UAE, including institutions and ultra high-net worth residents, are looking for diversification and are actively seeking India’s real estate as a “de-risking strategy”.

He said the introduction of real estate investment trusts (REITs) in India and regulations such as the Land Acquisition Bill and Real Estate Regulatory Bill, coupled with a stable currency and “healthy macro-financial numbers”, have helped renewed investor confidence. 

“Of late, we have seen many [Indian] developers coming to Dubai, setting up their offices and doing road shows to which investors have reacted positively because of currency gains. The property prices in India have bottomed out and in the past, many investors have made money in Indian real estate and hence are more comfortable,” Rohokale added.

ASK Group is a diversified financial services company that has been operating in India for over 30 years. Its asset management business covers equity, private equity and real estate private equity. The company considers UAE as a “very strategic market”.

Investors from the UAE are not just focused on real estate funds. Private wealth is spread across a wide range of vehicles, including mutual funds, traditional savings and long-term investment plans, among others.

A new survey commissioned by Standard Life suggested that investment flows from the UAE are likely to increase, with two thirds of NRIs saying they are optimistic that India will be more investor-friendly after the general elections.

Source: Gulf News