Posts

ONE-ON-ONE - India shining among developing countries, says World Bank MD

Image
Sri Mulyani Indrawati MD & COO, WORLD BANK Sidhartha & Surojit Gupta TNN   World Bank managing director and chief operating officer Sri Mulyani Indrawati is bullish about India's growth prospects and tells TOI in an interview that New Delhi must use the narrow window of opportunity provided by slowing commodity prices to push through more reforms. Excerpts:How do you see the progress in terms of policies in India? This is a very rare and good opportunity for India. It is getting advantage of low commodity prices, especially oil, that will provide space for the budget in terms of subsidies. The government commitment and announcement on fuel subsidy reform is very encouraging. India has the opportunity to use this narrow window to push for further reforms.The more attention on improving the business climate to be able to attract more foreign direct investment for small and medium enterprises is going to be critical because the growth of India

VIEW POINT - Good Governance and Better living

Image
FAYE DSOUZA   When choosing a home the biggest decision obviously is choosing the builder and the project but the decision should also be backed with an assessment of the civic and social infrastructure of the location.The physical infrastructure and social amenities will impact the future price appreciation of the property. So, it is important to run through a checklist of requisites before making up the mind. This list should be helpful. Social Infrastructure: Check the neighbourhood for schools, colleges, hospitals and a local market.One should be able to access all these services within a few minutes travel from one's new home. There should be adequate parking at these locations and easy access from the roads. Look for recreational facilities as well. Malls, shopping centres, movie theatres and parks for children. The closer these facilities are, the better the price appreciation. Physical Infrastructure: Check the location for traffic

Branded Property fetches a Higher Premium all across the Globe!

I was just going through a particular website and was amazed to read this stunning article, wherein I thought of sharing it with you personally. It’s difficult to believe that a larger-than-life Soccer superstar, who is used to equally large stadiums as his second home, would invest in a very modest-sized 2509 sq.ft apartment for himself.  BUT  when the apartment’s address reads as ‘The Trump  Tower ’, Fifth Avenue.…suddenly, it all starts making sense. Seeing is Believing ! So, we welcome you to click on this link below & experience the endless wows on seeing Soccer ace Cristiano Ronaldo’s new home, first hand. Please hold on to your chairs, when you hear the price he paid for it… a whooping USD 18.5million (approx. INR 123 crores ). Needless to say, a Branded residence is worth the price it demands. Enjoy the view…! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ sport/sportsnews/article- 3208671/Cristiano-Ronaldo-s- new-11-8million-luxury-New- York-loft-apartment-Inside- Real-Madrid-s

URBAN LIFE ON FAST TRACK - Pune clears round 1, next goal is top 20

Image
Aug 28 2015 : The Times of India (Pune) Pune: TIMES NEWS NETWORK   Pips Big Metros Like Kolkata To Find A Place Among 98 In The Country Chosen For Smart Cities Mission In a big boost that would make a difference to the quality of urban life, Pune was among the 98 cities chosen for development under the Smart Cities Mission.There is much to cheer here as state capitals like Bengaluru and Kolkata did not make the cut. However, the grind begins now, since the city will have to make it to the final round of the mission.Along with the other selected cities, Pune too will have to prepare a city-level Smart City Plan which will be evaluated in the second stage of the competition based on a broad set of criteria. The top scoring 20 cities will be picked by the Centre for funding during this financial year. Funds may be released to the final 20 cities by this year end. They will get central assistance of Rs 200 crore in the first year followed by Rs 100 crore e

Foreign media sees India gaining from China slump

Image
New Delhi: TIMES NEWS NETWORK   India stands to benefit from China's slowdown thanks to its resilient consumer spending and improving macroeconomic fundamentals. The foreign media is taking note of the growth potential of Asia's third-largest economy acknowledging the strengths of India against the backdrop of a slowing China and a sluggish global economy .“India hasn't been rattled as badly as Brazil, Russia or South Africa. Its international reserves are ample, and it isn't highly dependent on foreign capital to fund imports,“ says the Wall Street Journal in a report on how India could benefit from China's slowdown. “It also doesn't rely on exporting resources, which means ebbing Chinese demand for minerals and metals isn't serious. And it doesn't have many companies competing head-tohead in third markets against Chinese exporters that benefit from a weaker yuan,“ the newspaper said. It said the large population which buying

RARE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY - COMMERCIAL OFFICES & SHOPS at very prime location in PUNE.

Image
We hereby bring an  exceptional opportunity    to own  Panchshil  Commercial premises starting from  1500 sq. ft. to 30,000 sq. ft . Ticket size of  Office 1.6 Cr . &  Retail shop from 3.5 Cr . onwards. LOCATION: NEXT TO SEASONS SHOPPING MALL, MAGARPATTA CITY, PUNE. Specification: Building Specifications • Double Glaze Low-e glass façade • Air conditioned Lobby - VRV System • Access Control Turnstile • Elevators: High-speed Mitsubishi* 3 passengers and 1 Service • 100% Power Back-up • Ample space for Car / Two- Wheeler parking • Possession will be 24 months from the date of commencement Floor Specifications • Sub Floor with mosaic tiles • Office Front with Well-designed Glass door • False Ceiling with light fixtures • Floor Pantry available • Each Floor - Washrooms for both Male and Female • Exclusive Executive washrooms on each floor • Air conditioned offices with VRV system Benefits for investing in Magarpat

iPhone-maker to invest $5bn to Make in PUNE, Maharashtra.

Image
Mumbai: TNN & AGENCIES   Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer and a key supplier to Apple Inc, on Saturday signed a pact with Maharashtra to invest $5 billion over five years in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.The investment, touted to be one of the largest in the state, comes within a week of US multinational General Motors' $1billion pledge to manufactures automobiles in Maharashtra. It will also bolster PM Narendra Modi's `Make in India' campaign, which aims to turn Asia's third-largest economy into a manufacturing powerhouse. The MoU to set up the unit was signed in the presence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Foxconn chairman Terry Gou on Saturday at the World Trade Centre here. TOI has in the past -most recently on August 5 -reported how Foxconn, the trade name for $132-billion Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd which also counts Blackberry , Xiaomi and Amazon as clients, had amb

`Builder cannot charge VAT on sale of flat after completion of project'

Image
Vishwas Kothari Pune:   Forum Directs Construction Co To Pay `20k As Damages A builder cannot charge Value Added Tax (VAT) on transaction for sale of flat effected after he has secured completion certificate for the project from the municipal corporation, the Pune district consumer disputes redressal forum has ruled.In an order passed on Thursday , a three-member bench of the forum, headed by its president V P Utpat, held city-based construction firm, Kshitij Promoters and Developers in Erandwane, liable for deficiency in service and unfair trade practice for wrongfully collecting 1% VAT from the purchasers of a flat and not returning the same. The bench, which also comprised members Mohan Patankar and Kshitija Kul karni, directed the firm and its partners, S P Paranjape and Vinayak D Gokhale, to refund the Rs 70,230 VAT that was collected from complainants Janice D'sa and Leena D'sa within six weeks from the date of order. The firm has also be

Insurance cover for a home

  There are many options to insure a property and household goods from theft and breakdowns There are different forms of insurance available for a home. An insurance cover reduces risk. It is therefore advisable to go in for some cover based on the risks involved, and the potential loss. HOME LOAN COVER A home loan availed to buy property can be covered by insurance.This provides a cover for repayment of the home loan in case of the unfortunate demise of the borrower. As the loan amount in case of a property purchase is usually high and the tenure long, there is a greater degree of risk. This policy is more or less like a term insurance, linked with the tenure of the home loan. PROPERTY INSURANCE Insurance for the house itself is available. Here, there is the option of insurance for the household goods.None of these is mutually exclusive.It is possible to opt for one or a combination of more, depending on preferences and risk assessment. Insurance of property cove

Pune steals a march over Delhi in realty

Jul 29 2015 : The Times of India (Pune)   Sales and new project launches in the country's real estate sector are recording a dip but analysts observe that Pune continues to see an increase in sales and prices.The city has emerged as one of the best performers in terms of age of inventory and time taken for inventory to be sold. Although residential markets in all major cities are still experiencing a pressure, Pune has shown promising growth The city has replaced Delhi-NCR to occupy the third slot in absorption or sales figures. Even in the number of new launches Pune has surged ahead of Delhi NCR, standing third after Bengaluru and Mumbai in the first half of 2015. Real estate consult ant Knight Frank released the half-yearly report on Tuesday . The research firm has given their findings for the top eight cities -Mumbai, Delhi-NCR Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Kolkata. It stated that these residen tial markets were expected to witness a sl

INVESTMENT MANTRA - Deduct TDS on purchase of property

Image
Jul 18 2015 : The Times of India (Pune)   A property buyer needs to deduct tax from the sale amount paid to the seller and deposit the amount deducted with the government While purchasing property, under certain circumstances, a buyer has to deduct tax and remit it to the government. In order to facilitate better reporting of property transactions and payment of capital gains tax, the government introduced a Tax to be Deducted at Source (TDS) at the rate of one per cent on the value of the transfer of the property where the sale amount exceeds Rs 50 lakhs.However, agricultural land is exempt from this tax. Also, no deduction is to be made where the sale amount is less than Rs 50 lakhs. The sum deducted as TDS has to be paid to the central government within a period of seven days from the end of the month in which the deduction was made. It has to be ac companied by a challancum-statement on Form 26QB. The buyer, responsible for deduction of the tax

INVESTMENT WISE - The diligence dictum

Jul 18 2015 : The Times of India (Pune)   Santhosh Kumar, CEO operations and international director, JLL India, offers tips for renting out a property India's cities are growing and creating a wide spectrum of opportunities. This means there are a lot of people flocking to cities in search of jobs, higher studies or just for a more cosmopolitan lifestyle.In other words, today's real estate market is flooded with prospective renters.The sky-high property prices in larger cities are keeping 'buy' option out of the reach of the common man, so the rental market is booming.Not surprisingly, countless people have either invested in or are entering the rental real estate segment. Their objective is to purchase homes and rent them. The problem is that many first time landlords are unaware of the potential risks associated with renting out a property particularly a residential one. Renting out a house in India does not always result in smooth sailing; if not app

Citizens can share `smart city' ideas

Image
Jul 14 2015 : The Times of India (Pune) Pune: TIMES NEWS NETWORK   The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has invited citizens to share their ideas on `how to make Pune a smart city'.The campaign aims at increasing public participation in the PMC's effort to garner support for the city's quest for a smart city tag. Mayor Dattatraya Dhankawade said at a press conference on Monday that the competition will involve citizens in the process of making Pune a serious contender for the smart city race. A PMC official said the contest for citizens is available online and offline. People can submit their ideas in maximum 250 words on one or more topics. More information is available on websites: www.punesmartcity.in or www.smartcity.punecorporation.org.  Those who want to write can address their suggestions to additional commissioner (special), PMC, Shivajingar, Pune 5. The last date for entries is July 20. Commissioner Kunal Kumar appealed to citiz

Why Mumbai's Realty Players Shifted Their Focus to Pune

This Article is a guest post from  Pravitha (commonfloor.com) Mumbai has always been at the top of real estate investor’s list. But, is the city slowly losing its charm due to its neighboring city, Pune? Let’s find out. Mumbai, also known as the City Of Dreams, has held the title of being the most expensive city in the country, for a long period of time. The real estate market of the city is booming, but now only millionaires and billionaires can afford to live in the city. The property prices are so high that it is impossible for a mid-income individual to afford a good house. On the other hand, Pune still has affordable housing, and ever since Mumbai-Pune Expressway opened to the public, the travel time between the two cities has reduced considerably. In addition to this, there are many other reasons why Pune has attracted investors. Establishment of IT Parks Due to the development of several IT parks in Pune, a huge number of techies have migrated to this city. If you ar

COVER STORY - The Real smart moves

Image
Jul 04 2015 : The Times of India (Pune) |KANCHAN GOGATE   With the Union government unveiling major schemes for urban and infrastructural development, the realty is set to see a revival, opine experts. Pune needs an extra push to enhance its livability quotient To make the country a better place and making seemingly unreachable housing sector accessible for all, the Union government has launched three ambitious schemes, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for 500 cities and towns, the Smart Cities scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, which aims at building two crore affordable houses.The total investment in these three schemes would be Rs 4,00,000 crore spread over seven to eight years and experts say these programmes have the potential to raise the standard of living in cities and towns and trigger demand in construction and allied sectors.The names of the Smart Cities will be decided based on a competition to be

HARDSHIP IN HINJEWADI - Dedicated bus lane can ease Hinjewadi traffic congestion

Image
Jun 01 2015 : The Times of India (Pune)   The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) and the Pune traffic department plans to start a separate lane for buses coming from Kaspate Vasti, Wakad, to Shivaji Chowk, Hinjewadi to ease the traffic problems of the IT park commuters.“This would ensure smoother and faster movement of buses plying to and from Hinjewadi and they would be able to stick to the timings,“ said Rajendra Madne, general manager, PMPML.“We aim to encourage owners of private vehicles to take the public transport to work,“ he added. “We will do a trial run once the underpass on the KatrajDehu Road bypass opens,“ said deputy commissioner police (Traffic), Pune, Sarang Awad. The underpass is set to open by early June. “We hope there will be a major reduction in wrong side driving as people going to Sus, Baner, Katraj and Kothrud areas coming from the IT park would not need to take the U-turn and can straight away take the underpass,“ said Awad. He a

ONLINE PROPERTY TAX

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has developed www.pmcconnect.in , a web-based application, to facilitate over seven lakh property owners in the city to pay their property taxes online. It is a self-service solution which will help citizens to manage the details of their online transactions. Once registered, citizens can view and pay their bills and also raise and track service requests. The system is integrated with the PMC's property tax website and will allow citizens to add their details like email ID and phone numbers in the system. Pune has 7.8 lakh properties, including residential houses (self-occupied or rented out), office buildings, and factory buildings, open plots, flats and shops, on which the levy is charged.

Revival to gather steam on rebound in corporate earnings

Image
Apr 20 2015 : The Economic Times (Mumbai) ET Exclusive - India will Soon Break into a Run, Feels Walker Nishanth Vasudevan Mumbai:   Revival to gather steam on rebound in corporate earnings Jim Walker, among the first strategists to get bullish on India 18 months ago, predicted that economic revival would gather steam on the back of a turnaround in corporate earnings, followed by a rise in investment.And, for anyone with a 3-10 year investment horizon, “India should be your No. 1 priority,“ said the Asianomics founder and former CLSA chief economist in an interview. in an interview. At the same time, he was caustic about RBI not cutting rates. “Recoveries are profit-led, not investment-led,“ he said. “Investment activity is the natural consequence of companies and entrepreneurs spotting and realising profitable opportunities. Governments and central banks can facilitate improved profit outlooks but they cannot create them artificially .“ Although W

Sharing INFORMATION: Annual Pune Municipal Tax (property tax) on properties under Pune Jurisdiction.

Dear Reader/ Property Owners in Pune, Greetings to you... Wish to inform you that there will be Annual Pune Municipal Tax on properties which comes under Pune Jurisdiction to be paid every year and the bill is generated on every March month and delivered in hard paper bill also to your property address letter box however this receiving bill is not reliable as sometimes not delivered or misplaced by the government postal department.  Fortunately, you can find the same bill by visiting pune municipal corporation website: www.punecorporation.org   and www.propertytax. punecorporation.org  (the site is self explanatory) you just need your Consumer/property Number to track it. which will be in a format of eg. O/1/20/0123456 (this is just an example so pls fill your property no. on it) Again this property bill comes once in a year and last date without fine is 31st may of every year, so this year will be 31st May, 2015. if you miss to pay for previous years property tax

HDFC rates lower than SBI's for HOME LOAN

Image
Apr 11 2015 : The Times of India (Pune) HDFC rates lower than SBI's Mumbai: TIMES NEWS NETWORK   Cuts Home Loan Rates By 20 Bps To 9.9% For All Borrowers The country's largest housing finance company HDFC has brought down its lending rate by 20 basis points with effect from April 13 (100 basis points = one percentage point). Following the reduction, the corporation will extend loans at 9.9%, which is lower than the rate being charged by the State Bank of India.SBI, the country's largest bank, offers home loans at 9.95% for women and 10% for all other borrowers. The reduction in interest rates by HDFC will bring down the equated monthly instalment (EMI) on a Rs 50-lakh loan (20 years' tenure) by Rs 663, from Rs 48,583 to Rs 47,920. In a statement issued here on Friday , HDFC said the reduction would benefit all customers and the interest cost for existing borrowers will also go down. ICICI Bank has segmented its home loans into vari