India
embarked on a series of economic
reforms in 1991 under the leadership
of current prime minister in
reaction to a severe foreign
exchange crisis. Those reforms
have included liberalized foreign
investment and exchange regimes,
significant reductions in tariffs
and other trade barriers, reform
and modernization of the financial
sector, and significant adjustments
in government monetary and fiscal
policies.
The reform
process has had some very
beneficial effects on the
Indian economy, including
higher growth rates, lower
inflation, and significant
increases in foreign investment.
GDP has been growing at around
6% for the last ten years
and is set to grow by at least
as much in the next ten years.
Foreign portfolio and direct
investment flows have risen
significantly since reforms
began in 1991 and have contributed
to healthy foreign currency
reserves ($135 billion in
October 2005).
Largest democracy
with independent judiciary,
stable and profitable banking
sector, highly evolved and
liquid capital markets and
a respected economist at the
helm of the government all
support the premise of India
being a favored investment
destination.
And of course
one cannot talk enough about
the positive effects of IT
boom happening all over the
country. Abundance of cheap
English speaking manpower
continues to add to the efficiencies
of corporations' world over.
So much so that most of the
global corporations now have
an' India strategy' and those
who do not, are furiously
working on one. This has helped
inject a sense of optimism
in the nation's youth along
with cash in their pockets,
which they are only too happy
to put back into circulation.
No matter where one looks,
one can see the signs of consumption
led growth. And this growth
at macro level is pushing
up the demand for real estate
properties in areas like Delhi,
NCR region (Gurgaon, Noida,
Greater Noida, Faridabad,
Ghaziabad), Mumbai, Bangalore,
Lucknow and Kanpur. And historically
low interest rates are making
it affordable for more and
more people to afford investing
into real estate, which further
pushes the prices higher.
To ensure that
this engine of growth does
not falter, Indian government
has recently announced the
following initiatives;