Commercial segment emerges winner.

• Position: Real Estate Investment in India: A Brief Analysis report

Despite the turbulence in the residential real estate market in many Indian cities, the investment climate, particularly for institutional investments, has remained robust over the past three years, a report states.

Reforms such as the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amended Act, India's Housing for All Mission, and easier FDI rules have all helped investor confidence.

The period 2015-2018 observed the highest amount of traction in real estate investment in the country with the momentum continuing in 2019 as well, a FICCI and Vestian report, 'Real Estate Investment in India: A Brief Analysis' said. "While investments worth $25.7 billion were recorded during the period 2015-2018, accounted for by 345 deals; the year 2019 saw approximately an investment of $2.7 billion till the month of June. Thus, altogether, the period 2015 to the first half of 2019 (H1 2019) recorded real estate investment of $28.4 billion in the country," the report stated.

Given the slowdown in the residential sector, it is not a surprise that the commercial segment (office and retail projects) emerged a winner in terms of investor interest. The segment accounted for the bulk of the real estate investment in the country since 2016. During 2015-2019, commercial accounted for 50 per cent of the total investment value.

"Among notable deals transacted in commercial assets, a slew of deals were signed between US-based...