A $15 million grant from an Asian Development Fund (ADF) 12 facility will reduce the burden of pneumonia and diarrhea in children and increase protection against the human papilloma virus in women.

Thanks to investment from Australia and ADB, a new clean water plant in Ebeye, in the north-west corner of the Marshall Islands, is changing lives.

The ADF-assisted Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Tourism Infrastructure for Inclusive Growth Project, has spurred a sharp rise in homestay and other tourism-based businesses in the southern part of Champasak Province, Lao PDR.

A glimpse into how scaling-up investment in Hasfarm Holdings is helping women in Central Highlands, Viet Nam improve their economic status and reach their full potential.

Khadka and her family, like millions of others, were affected by the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal in 2015. ADB's Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project in Nepal financed the rebuilding of quality schools to withstand future disasters.

The real estate and property development industry, hurting from the slowdown in the country’s economic growth, is hoping for lower interest rates and grant of infrastructure industry status to enable developers to access cheaper finance. The industry is hoping that a stable government acting decisively would help not only to revive economic growth, but also look into specific problems faced by the industry. “The Indian economy and the real estate sector have gone through multiple years of stress,” Anuj Puri, chairman & country head of JLL India, said. “A change in sentiment is imminent now that a pro-business government with a clear mandate has been elected to power, so this […]

With the Narendra Modi government taking charge on Tuesday, real estate players hope the sector will get due priority, which will help bring the economy back to 8-9 percent growth. “The new government will pave way for realty reforms and take concrete steps to implement its promise given in the BJP manifesto to ensure housing for all in eight years,” Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (Credai) Lalit Kumar Jain said. The merger of Housing and Urban Development Department will ensure coordination and proper control, he said. “The new government will bring in a positive change to developers and buyers in the otherwise dark era that has been […]

New Delhi: Nearly 60 percent of Indians think that next one month would be a good time to buy real estate with improvement in consumer sentiments following formation of a stable government, according to a survey by global research firm Ipsos. “Almost six in ten (57 percent) Indians think the next 30 days will be a good time to buy real estate, such as a house, vacation property or investment property,” Ipsos said in a statement. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. “With the formation of a new stable government at the Centre, the consumer sentiment which was […]

BANGALORE: Global private equity funds more than doubled their investment in India’s real estate sector in the quarter to March as they foresee an improvement in economy leading to stable long-term yields, according to a report by brokerage Cushman & Wakefield. PE funds invested Rs 2,800 crore in the country’s commercial and residential real estate during the period, a 145% jump over the year-ago quarter, the report said. “This is the highest quarterly private equity investment since Q2 of 2009 by private equity funds in the realty sector, driven by huge investment in commercial real estate and steady fund raising by developers in the residential asset class,” it said. Sanjay […]

The real estate sector is pinning hopes on the new government for revival. Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) Chairman Lalit Kumar Jain expressed hope that the new government would bring in a positive change to real estate developers and buyers by introducing reforms given the challenges of slump in sales, high prices and liquidity crunch that the sector has been facing. ‘Housing for all’ “We expect the government to take concrete steps to implement its promise given in the BJP manifesto of ensuring ‘Housing for All’ in eight years,” he added. For an immediate plan of action, Jain suggested efficient and accountable governance in building approval […]

Nine years after it was formed, New York-based Brahma Management has lined up big investments for the Indian real estate market . Brahma, an FDI-funded investment and asset management company, has already invested around Rs 2,500 crore in the sector and has plans to put in another Rs 3,000 crore over the next two years. So far, its investments in the realty sector include Gurgaon-based projects Brahma City and Athena, and The Valley, a joint venture township project in Panchkula. While Athena is a retail and commercial office center, Brahma City is a gated township spread over 150 acres of land. Indian real estate market has been facing strong headwinds […]

NEW DELHI: Real estate developers and property consultants today welcomed the RBI decision to cut statutory liquidity ratio (SLR), saying this would enable banks to lend more to industry, including cash-starved realty sector. However, developers demanded easing of interest rates to boost housing sales. RBI today decided to keep the key policy rate unchanged but slashed statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) by 0.5 per cent to unlock about Rs 40,000 crore into the system. “The RBI’s move to cut SLR by 50 basis points to 22 per cent will give banks more headroom to lend and thereby spur lending in future. However, the much anticipated cut in rates would have been […]

In his first full-fledged review of the monetary policy, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan stuck to the continuing hawkish stance of inflation control first, which has seen the repo rate go up by another 25 basis points. The repo rate is the rate at which the central bank lends money (liquidity) to the financial system, and is the key policy rate. After the RBI action on October 29, it stands at 7.75 per cent. The most rate sensitive sector that always watches the central bank’s action closely is real estate. Equated monthly instalments (EMIs) are the biggest expense for a typical household, and with the floating interest […]

Welcoming the 0.25% rate cut by two of the biggest home loan financiers SBI and HDFC, realty sector participants today said the move will help revive interest in the gloomy market. “This is a positive move to boost property sales and spur industry growth. Home buyers who were earlier waiting for rates to come down will now certainly look at buying their dream homes,” industry body Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (Credai) Chairman Lalit Kumar Jain said. “The home loan rate cuts from certain banks have occurred after nearly a year, and will augur well for investment sentiments in the market,” property consultant CBRE South Asia’s Chairman […]

Approved project 45009-003 in Mongolia.

The intuitive habit of drawing macroeconomic conclusions (about India) from the corporate feedback (and vice versa) is fraught with risk. After all, only half of India’s GDP and 10% of India’s employment are in the formal sector. Further, only a fraction of the formal sector is listed.” This is not any Swadeshi ideologue speaking. This is what the Asia Pacific/India Equity Research paper of Credit Suisse titled “India’s better half: The Informal Economy” says about the most unique aspect of Indian economy. The paper points out that corporate sector accounts for only one-fourth of the national capital formed – the share of listed corporates in it is even less, just […]

Capitedge India Investment Advisory, a realty fund and asset management firm floated by six former members of Indian realty team of American banking giant Wells Fargo, is coming out with a residential properties-focused fund in India. This would mark its first fresh fundraising exercise after floating an independent investment advisory firm, which is also managing the remaining assets of Wells Fargo after it shut operations in the country last year. While the founding partners are closely associated in operations, Hiral Soni is driving the domestic fundraise and investment strategy, as per the company website. She was previously with Marvel Realtors and had later also set up a boutique investment banking […]

Banking integration lowers bank default risk in recipient countries.

ASEAN could learn from the European Union’s experience, particularly under the current global challenges.

Asian regional integration is progressing under more complex and diversified considerations than European integration.

Financial sector development can play a crucial role in driving economic growth.

This publication provides estimates of purchasing power parities (PPPs) and real expenditures for 22 economies in Asia and the Pacific. These are summary regional results from the 2017 cycle of the International Comparison Program (ICP).

Brexit reminds us of the limitations of regional integration.

The Caspian region still has some alternatives that can develop it into a cohesive area.

Gradual integration and expansion would help intensify Asian economic integration through capacity-building and technological development from more advanced economic blocs.

Labor market discrimination is the main barrier to narrowing the gender earnings gap in the People’s Republic of China.

Banking integration lowers bank default risk in recipient countries.

ASEAN could learn from the European Union’s experience, particularly under the current global challenges.

Financial sector development can play a crucial role in driving economic growth.

AN3444 Driving LEDs with Constant Current and Sequential Linear LED Drivers

The passage of contentious Telangana bill in the Lok Sabha may not have much impact on investment sentiment in realty sector across Hyderabad, as the city has already been planned to serve as a joint capital for next 10 years, according to property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle. “The Bill is being viewed with mixed feelings by various stakeholders, but it is still too early to gauge its impacts on the real estate industry. That said, it is likely to end the political uncertainty that Hyderabad has been facing for the past few years. “The outcomes are still unclear, but Brand Hyderabad is not likely to be overly affected as it […]

MUMBAI/DELHI: Niche luxury brands like Italian suit maker Kiton and British shoemaker John Lobb have started bespoke made-to-order services in India, but they are in no hurry to open swanky stores in the country. Reason: inability to find a place on the right location at reasonable rates. “Rentals in India are as high as international markets, but the demand is not as much,” said Pratik Dalmia, founder of Mumbai-based Regalia Luxury, which has the rights to market and sell Kiton and John Lobb brands in India. Steep rentals and lack of quality retail real estate at strategic locations near high-income neighbourhoods are making it hard for luxury brands to expand […]

MUMBAI/BANGALORE: Multinational companies are increasingly buying properties to set up their offices instead of leasing offices as they preferred for years, marking a strategic shift that signals the growing importance of the Indian market and the long-term commitment of the global firms. Foreign firms including GlaxoSmithKline Pharma, Sanofi Aventis, Adobe, Honeywell, SanDisk and Amazon have recently bought office space in India. MNCs accounted for 35% of total commercial asset sales in the country in the first three months of 2014, according to a report by real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield. In 2012, MNCs contributed as much as 60% to the total commercial asset sales, backed by two deals […]

MUMBAI: Indian real estate market witnessed a significant change in the last decade mainly backed by opening up of FDI in the sector and shift in preference to high-rises over traditional low-rise structures, according to a report. The opening up of the sector to foreign direct investment in 2005 initiated the entry of new avenues for funding, and capital inflow witnessed a spike, property consultant CBRE said in its report titled ‘Inflection Point: Ten years of organised real estate in India (2005-2014)’. Restrictive legislations till 2004 provided limited scope of funds for the sector. However, opening up of the sector to FDI in 2005 opened up new avenues for investment, […]

MUMBAI: US private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co has made its entry in the country’s real estate sector by finalising investments of Rs 750 crore in two property projects. KKR has struck a structured debt transaction for Rs 400 crore for the Bhartiya Group’s integrated township project in Bangalore, two people with direct knowledge of the transactions said. It also agreed to provide a Rs 350 crore structured loan to the Wadhwa Group’s luxury home project in west central Mumbai, they said. The group will use the money to repay other lenders of the project, where the cost of apartments ranges from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 10 […]

BANGALORE: When Sameer Rana was looking for a dream property last month, he was spoilt for options in the real estate market. Yet, the 44-year-old investment banker was not sure whether he had all the information to spend Rs 2 crore on an apartment. “Is the area safe? Are the nearby schools good? Will the builder give possession of the house on time? All such questions plundered my mind and I did not have the time to go through every property myself to decide,” Rana said, adding, “Brokers could not be trusted.” But now online start-ups, including Housing-.com, PropTiger, and CommonFloor, are setting up their own teams, data science labs […]

The dust has settled on the elections drama and the BJP is now firmly in the driver’s seat. By and large, this is being seen as the best possible news for the Indian real estate sector – and rightly so. Narendra Modi has the business mind-set, background and also determination which are called for to bring India’s entire economy back on track. What the real estate sector now awaits is his policy approach to the issue of housing in India. Now, as the country stands poised on the verge of a major change in economic climate, it is a good time to reflect on why boosting the housing sector is […]

Investment in the real estate sector in January-March, 2014, has more than doubled to $800 from the previous quarter of only $317 million, mainly driven by corporate land sales. Around $597 million was invested in the sector a year ago. More platform deals and equity stake acquisitions can be expected. “Although India is not yet a significant player in the regional real estate investment market, going forward, we expect the entry of real estate investment trusts (REITs) to provide alternative funding channels to the sector and trigger strong growth in its investment volumes,” said Anshuman Magazine, chairman and managing director, CBRE South Asia. For the quarter ended March 2014, nearly […]

BANGALORE/MUMBAI: After a lull of nearly three years, sale of large land parcels is picking up across the country amid a general improvement in sentiment on expectations that the new government will focus on infrastructure development. Not only developers but private equity (PE) players, too, are keen on joining hands with builders to acquire land parcels at fair valuations without having to pay a premium as corproates try to unbolt the value of their real estate properties, inspiring the realty market out of its trance. Some of the builders looking for sewing large land transactions include Tata Housing Development Company, Oberoi Realty and Runwal Group in Mumbai, DLF in Delhi, […]

According to a study by India Ratings, lack of credit availability and ongoing economic slowdown in India due to the coronavirus pandemic could lead to the residential sector witnessing weak demand in the fiscal year 2020-21.  Residential demand could remain muted in the next financial year, 2020-21 due to the increasing risks to India’s growth in case the economic impact of coronavirus continues beyond the first quarter.   Moreover, the housing sector faces a liquidity crunch and refinancing challenges due to increasing uncertainty over the availability of credit in the market, coupled with poor demand. This is in the backdrop of the recent meltdown in the financial market and rising risk […]

NEW DELHI: As more Indians log online to seek information before entering into property deals, Internet today is estimated to be influencing decisions worth about USD 43 billion, search engine giant Google said. According to a study commissioned by the US-based firm, over 50 per cent of real estate buyers’ decisions are influenced by Internet research. “This phenomenon of researching online for real estate information before making a decision is not limited to metros but also extended to buyers in tier II cities,” Google India Industry Director Nitin Bawankule told reporters here. The overall influence of Internet on real estate transaction value of both residential and commercial property including rentals […]

INDORE: To ensure hassle-free establishment of special economic zones (SEZs) in Indore, the state government is all set to go for Development Control Regulation (DCR). On the lines of Gujarat, a single window clearance system is being planned for them. A decision to this effect is likely to be taken during the meeting of the state cabinet in Bhopal on Wednesday. Once cleared, the Act will empower the SEZ development commissioner to sort out the issues and give necessary permission to the SEZs that have already been allotted land by the state government and received notifications for the SEZ status. They include TCS, Infosys and Impetus. While TCS and Impetus […]

STAMFORD, CT – HARMAN, the award-winning maker of outstanding audio and entertainment solutions, announced today that eight new products have been named CES Innovation Award winners for 2014. The awards were presented by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®), producer of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow. Products from HARMAN’s JBL, Harman Kardon, Infinity, AKG, and Aha brands were recognized for outstanding design and engineering in consumer electronics.

CES 2015, LAS VEGAS – HARMAN, the premium global audio, visual, infotainment and enterprise automation group (NYSE:HAR), introduced today at CES 2015 the Infinity® BassLink SM, the latest subwoofer in the BassLink line. The compact under seat subwoofer is designed to reinforce the low-end bass performance in vehicles and put the richness back into the music.

CES 2016, LAS VEGAS – Today, HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE:HAR), the premier connected technologies company for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, announced the newest version of Infinity® Reference Speakers and...

MUNICH, Germany – HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, today announced the opening of its first Experience Store in Europe....