BlackRock Services India, the Indian arm of the world’s largest asset manager, has signed a fresh office lease for about 143,000 square feet at IndiQube  Symphony on MG Road in Bengaluru’s central business district (CBD). The 10-year deal carries a total rental outlay of Rs 410 crore, making it one of the largest enterprise flexible space transactions in the country in one of the largest enterprise flexible space transactions in the country in recent quarters. “The lease, registered earlier this month, will commence on October 1, 2025. BlackRock will pay a monthly rent of Rs 2.72 crore at Rs 190 per sq ft, backed by a Rs 21.75 crore deposit. The agreement covers G+5 floors of the tower and includes a 5% annual rental escalation,” said a lease document shared by Propstack. The property is part of IndiQube’s larger 320,000 sq ft acquisition across three towers in Bengaluru CBD under a 15-year renovate-and-upgrade project, branded as IndiQube Symphony. The development is aimed at offering premium managed workspace to enterprise tenants. As of March, IndiQube operated 115 centres across 15 cities, managing 8.4 million sq ft of area with 186,719 seats. Bengaluru accounted for 65 centres and 5.43 million sq ft, cementing its position as IndiQube’s largest market. The company’s financial performance has also drawn investor interest — with 2024-25 income at Rs 1,103 crore, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation at Rs660 crore and return on capital employed at 34.2%. Occupancy across steady-state centres was 86.5%, while the company sustained positive profit after tax. India’s office market has seen flex spaces emerge as a mainstream category. According to Colliers, flex leasing increased 48% year-on-year in the first half of 2025 to 6.5 million sq ft, making up 19% of overall leasing. Bengaluru accounted for a third of this activity.
 

Home financing startup Easy Home Finance, which had secured $35 million in a funding round led by Ranjan Pai’s family office Claypond Capital and Japanese financial services major Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation’s Asia Rising Fund, has availed long term financing through NCD issuance with Franklin Templeton Alternative Investments Fund, India (Franklin Templeton AIF).  The investment has been funded through Franklin India Credit AIF, an alternative investment fund focused on private credit opportunities. The investment will support company’s expansion in high-potential housing districts, enhance its capital strength. Franklin Templeton’s backing is a clear validation of our robust credit architecture, inclusive business model, and disciplined growth strategy,” said Bikash Mishra, Chief Financial Officer, Easy Home Finance. Founded in 2018, Easy has enabled over 15,000 families to achieve homeownership through its mobile-first lending platform and is on track to double this number by FY26. Operating across 13 Indian states that collectively represent more than 85% of national mortgage demand, Easy is helping bridge the credit access gap in Tier II & III towns and peri-urban clusters.
 

Reiterating a complete ban on commercial activities on the Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor along the Nilgiris, Madras high court has confirmed the findings of the Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor Inquiry Committee, constituted by the Supreme Court. The committee's ban included resorts and hotels. The parties who purchased the lands are free to hold the lands and cultivate them in an eco-friendly manner without causing any disturbance to the elephants, and without any artificial barriers such as electrical fences, power fences, or solar fences, a special bench of Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy. "The findings of the committee, headed by former judge Justice K Venkataraman, stand confirmed, except for the finding regarding the handing over of the properties to the govt," said a division bench. The bench directed the TN govt to notify all the revenue lands situated adjacent to the elephant corridor, sanctuary, and buffer zone in and around the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve as reserved forests under the TN Forest Act and hand them over to the forest department. Having notified the elephant corridor, which is the need of the hour to protect elephant movement, the govt has to balance the rights of the parties (landowners) as well. The govt cannot be a mute spectator. This will lead to the situation where the property cannot be used by the owners for any purpose other than commercial activities, the court said. Therefore, the bench has directed the state to acquire all the private lands falling within the corridor by compensating the landowners in a phased manner, which should commence within six months.
 

The real estate sector has hailed the 56th GST Council meetings decision to rationalise tax rates on key construction inputs as a landmark reform that could transform housing affordability and spur demand in the upcoming festive season. By lowering GST on cement from 28% to 18% and on granite blocks from 12% to 5%, the move is expected to ease input costs for developers, expected to ease input costs for developers, improve project viability, and accelerate housing delivery, particularly in the affordable and mid-income segments. Developers say the decdelivery, particularly in the affordable and mid-income segments. With homebuyers already returning to the market after two years escalation, the reduction in taxation is expected to provide much-needed relief and encourage fence-sitters to finalise purchase. Analysts believe the reform will also give developers more flexibility in pricing, enabling them to pass on benefits to consumers while maintaining margins. The housing sector, particularly stands to benefit from GST reduction on input materials like cement from 28% to 18%  and garnite blocks from 12% to 5 % as this will ultimately reduce home price for consumers and create sustainable demand across  segments. With input costs easing, developers expect improved project viability, faster delivery and renewed housing demand across markets. For homebuyers, the reform offers renewed hope of affordable prices and greater supply at a time when festive sentiment is at its peak.
 

The GST rationalisation will bring down the prices of cement by Rs 30-35 per 50 kg bag and lower the cost of construction, a report from India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said. Last week, the GST Council decided to overhaul the current GST regime into a two-slab structure -- 5 per cent and 18 per cent. From September 22, cement will be taxed at 18 per cent, instead of 28 per cent now. The report said the revamp is a "structural positive" for the cement sector and could support demand in the affordable segment, which has been tepid in recent times. Ind-Ra believes companies will likely largely pass on this benefit by reducing selling prices which will help lower construction costs for infrastructure and housing projects. "With the rate cut likely to be passed on due to high competition, cement prices for consumers would soften while net realisations for cement companies may remain range bound. The price reduction for consumers could also lead to some upgrading to higher-value brands, benefiting tier 1 players. Over the capacity utilisation, Ind-Ra said the cement industry witnessed significant capacity additions in 1QFY26, with around 17 million tonne commissioned out of the 75 MT planned for the full year. Recent acquisitions and pending ramp-ups of underutilised assets by large players pushed industry-wide capacity utilisation to nearly 72 per cent, a marginal yoy decline,
 

The cost of building or buying your dream home may soon drop, as the government decided to lower the GST on cement to 18% from 28% during the 56th GST Council meeting yesterday. As per the GST notification, “Portland cement, aluminous cement, slag cement, super sulphate cement and similar hydraulic cements, whether or not colored or in the form of clinkers,” will see their GST rate go from 28% to 18%, effective September 22, 2025. However, the actual savings for homebuyers will depend on when and how much of this benefit the cement companies choose to pass on. As Anupama Reddy, Vice President & Co-Group Head, ICRA Ltd, explains, “Rural housing will be a key beneficiary from the government’s decision to reduce GST on cement from 28% to 18%, since this tax cut translates into a 0.8%–1.0% reduction in overall construction expenses. The price benefit of Rs 26-28/bag will be transferred to the retail customer, without materially affecting the profitability of cement manufacturers.”

How does the GST reduction on cement bring down housing costs?

With GST on cement reduced from 28% to 18%, the total post-tax cost per bag of cement will come down, subsequently lowering the total construction cost for builders. If developers pass on this tax benefit, the per-square-foot prices of houses could come down. Experts suggest that lower construction costs translate into immediate price correction or more attractive pre-launch offers for consumers.
 Moreover, if an individual homeowner is in the process of building an under-construction house, the benefits will land more directly in their pockets in the form of lower GST on each cement bag and, hence, cheaper cement as raw material upfront. As CA Siddharth Surana puts it, “While most real estate developers opt for the 5% GST scheme without Input Tax Credit (ITC), and a large share of infrastructure projects are exempt or do not claim ITC, cement continues to remain one of the biggest cost drivers.” “This rate cut is therefore more than just a tax relief—it directly translates into lower project costs and improved cash flows and offers a strong boost to housing affordability and infrastructure development,” he continues. How will this move impact affordable housing? According to ANAROCK research, the affordable housing category (which includes properties priced below Rs 45 lakh) has seen its share of total sales decline from 38% in 2019 to just 18% in 2024. This GST rate cut, if translated into reduced home prices, will make the new homes more affordable to homebuyers. “The share of new supply dropped even more dramatically from 40% in 2019 to just 12% in the first half of 2025. The reduced construction costs, if passed on to homebuyers, can boost demand in these segments. India currently has a shortfall of nearly 1 crore budget homes in urban markets, and such interventions could help bridge this gap,” the research continues. As Reddy further notes, cement accounts for nearly 10-12% of total construction costs, particularly in rural housing.

Families aspiring to own villas and independent homes in Chennai have reason to cheer, with the Tamil Nadu govt now permitting stilt + two-floor buildings up to 10 metres. The change unlocks stilt space for parking and speeds up handovers, making villas more practical for buyers. Developers and investors, meanwhile, expect the move to spark fresh demand for plotted developments across the city and suburbs. S Ramprabhu, chairman of the DTCP committee at Builders Association of India, said the change will support the growing demand for independent homes in Chennai. "Earlier, when self-certification was limited to G+1 homes, parking space was added to the FSI, which led to roadside parking. Now that it has been extended to stilt + two floors, it will be far more beneficial. We will soon see more villas on OMR and ECR. The self-certification scheme, launched by chief minister M K Stalin on July 22, 2024, was designed to benefit economically weaker sections and middle-income groups by enabling immediate building permits through a single-window online portal. Initially, it applied to G+1 constructions up to 7 metres in height, with a built-up area of 3,500 sqft on plots of up to 2,500 sqft. More than one lakh citizens availed themselves of the facility since its launch. According to Sivakumar P, global sales head of G Square, the scheme is a game changer for the real estate sector. "By simplifying approvals for G+2 and G+1 homes, it saves time and cost for builders while making the process more transparent and convenient for customers. Customers also benefit from time savings, transparent guidelines, instant downloads of approved plans, and the convenience of applying from home — without repeated visits to govt offices. Applicants must submit building plans signed by registered professionals at https://onlineppa(dot)tn(dot)gov(dot)in/ along with documents such as sale de ..
 

GST tax rates on common use items ranging from hair oil to corn flakes, TVs, and personal health and life insurance policies were slashed after the all-powerful GST Council on Wednesday approved a complete overhaul of the tangled Goods and Services Tax regime. The GST Council approved rate overhaul by limiting slabs to 5 per cent and 18 per cent effective from September 22, the first day of Navaratri. Almost all personal use items will see rate cuts as the government looks to boost domestic spending and cushion the economic blow of the US tariffs. Briefing reporters after a marathon daylong GST Council meeting, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said all decisions were taken unanimously, with no disagreement with any state. The panel approved simplifying the goods and services tax (GST) from the current four slabs -- 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent -- to a two-rate structure -- 5 and 18 per cent. A special 40 per cent slab is also proposed for a select few items such as high-end cars, tobacco and cigarettes. The new rates for all products, except gutkha, tobacco and tobacco products and cigarettes, will be effective September 22 -- the first day of Navratri. While daily use food items will continue to attract nil tax rate, common use food and beverages ranging from butter and ghee to dry nuts, condensed milk, sausages and meat, sugar boiled confectionery, jam and fruit jellies, tender coconut water, namkeen, drinking water packed in 20-litre bottles, fruit pulp or fruit juice, beverages containing milk, ice cream, pastry and biscuits, corn flakes and cereals, and sugar confectionery are likely to see a cut in tax rate to 5 per cent from the current 18 per cent. The Indian economy is heavily reliant on consumption with private consumption accounting for 61.4 per cent of the nominal GDP last fiscal. The GST reforms are likely to boost the economy by up to 0.5 percentage points by the second year of its implementation, effectively neutralising the full impact of the US tariff, economists. 
 

In the fifth meeting of the central advisory council (CAC), Manohar Lal Khattar, union minister of housing & urban affairs (MoHUA) launched the unified RERA portal rera(dot)mohua(dot)gov(dot)in, providing a common platform for stakeholders, enhancing transparency and enabling sharing of best practices among States/UTs. The launch of the Unified RERA Portal is a major step in strengthening transparency and accountability in the real estate sector," said housing ministers. He also added that RERA has empowered homebuyers, ensured timely delivery of projects and infused discipline in the sector. He asked States and UTs to implement RERA in letter and spirit to protect the interests of citizens. Tokhan Sahu, MoHUA observed that over the last eight years, RERA has emerged as a transformative reform for the real estate sector. He also said that the priority now is faster resolution of homebuyers’ grievances and revival of stalled projects so that trust between buyers and developers is further strengthened. The meeting was attended by Kuldip Narayan, joint secretary (Housing), MoHUA, Srinivas Katikithala, secretary (HUA), various RERA chairpersons, among others. Greater uniformity in RERA implementation across States was recommended, along with clarity in definitions, faster registration processes, and stronger compliance mechanisms. To streamline reforms,the council proposed the formation of a central-level committee within MoHUA comprising representatives of all stakeholders to ensure rules and regulations under the Act remain aligned with its parent framework.
 

As the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting has started to revamp some of the GST slabs from Wednesday, the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF) has initiated a petition seeking the abolition of the 18 per cent GST levied on apartment maintenance charges. Members of the federation have stated that the notification issued in 2019 has imposed an undue financial burden on Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs), including apartment owners. The online petition started on change.org by BAF stated, “This notification states that GST is applicable on the entire monthly maintenance charges collected by Residential Welfare Associations (RWAs) if such charges exceed Rs 7500 per month per member or residential unit.” It highlighted that an increase in living expenses affects middle-class families the hardest, forcing them to adjust their budgets and compromise on their essential needs. The petition also said that while the intention behind GST was to streamline indirect taxes and make essential goods affordable, this particular application burdens those who rely on the collective efforts of RWAs to maintain their homes and communities. It noted that individual residents do not get any GST credit but have to pay GST at 18 per cent. Mallya added that the Rs 7500 threshold is arbitrary and does not take into account the varying costs of living across different regions and states. “We want the government to reconsider this rule and either increase the exemption limit based on inflation and reduce the GST rate. 
 

There is slow yet substantial change taking place in the Indian urban setting. As the standard of living improves and cities become more congested, homebuyers — especially in the Indian context — seek smarter and more adaptable, flexible housing solutions. The 2.5 BHK configuration seems to be gaining popularity among working professionals, nuclear families, and even investors. The change has only accelerated in the last two decades because of socio-economic factors such as the rising availability of remote work, urban migration, nuclear families, dual-income households, and a need for greater privacy. In the given context, the 3 BHK can be financially daunting, while a 2 BHK in this situation becomes suffocating. With its “half” room, the 2.5 BHK offers the best of both worlds — and that is precisely where its advantage lies. 

What makes the 2.5 BHK tick? 

The main distinction between the 2 BHK and the 2.5 BHK is the addition of a small room — usually around 8x10 feet or smaller. Though not ample for a full-sized bedroom, this small area can be used for a wide range of things. It can be crafted into a soft office, study, prayer room, hobby area, or even a tiny guest room. Changes to modern life can be attributed to the increasing popularity of this format. Noteworthy factors include: 

Remote and hybrid work models: There has been a sustained need for home offices or quiet zones ever since the pandemic, which allows for productive remote or hybrid work. The “half” room serves as a professional space that doesn’t interfere with household routines.

Growing children: There are families with toddlers or school-aged children who often need an additional study or playroom, but can’t be comfortably accommodated within a standard 2 BHK.

Frequent visitors or elderly parents: A large part of the Indian population continues to accommodate visiting parents or extended family for long periods of time. These families can readily house them without any loss of general everyday comfort in a 2.5 BHK.

Cost-effective upgrade: The 2.5 BHK is relatively less expensive compared to a 3 BHK and comes with lower EMIs, maintenance, and tax implications — making it a practical choice for middle-income earners.

Buyer behaviour and market response Recent trends in the urban housing markets indicate a sharp increase in the demand for 2.5 BHK units in Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, and certain areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. 

Developer strategies and design innovations

Now, real estate developers are contorting floor plans to utilise the new “half” room. Some are providing modular options that enable the space to either be opened up or enclosed depending on the buyer’s preferences. In some cases, the 0.5 room is now being strategically placed to capture natural light, enhance ventilation, or provide better acoustic separation — the room is highly functional even within limited space.

A glimpse into the future

Aside from a room, the 2.5 BHK offers myriad opportunities. For couples just starting a life together, it could translate into a space needed to enable a new business idea. For children, it could mean focused academic attention. For professionals, it allows for greater separation between work and home life. These cities are well-connected and serve as hubs for young professionals and IT sector employees, thus serving as a hot market for first-time homeowners who are value-conscious. This demographic tends to view this format as a long-term investment that is flexible enough to cater to persisting family needs, thus allowing less urgency to upgrade to larger homes later on. This configuration enhances these clients’ value propositions. Even basic housing units are more appealing to real estate investors, as they can understand the functionality for a broader target market.

The Tamil Nadu State Highways Authority ( TNSHA ) has launched a major road project along the East Coast Road ( ECR ).  A four -lane elevated corridor, covering 14.2 km from Thiruvanmiyur to Uthandi, will soon be built to reduce heavy congestion. The project cost is estimated at Rs 2,100 crore. The corridor will begin near Tidel Park and extend up to Uthandi. It will be built on the road median with supporting pillars and will include pathways for pedestrians. The structure will have a width ranging from 16 to 20 metres and a clearance height of 5.5 metres for vehicles below. International tenders for construction were floated on August 26. Officials confirmed that the project will follow the hybrid annuity model (HAM), which combines EPC and BOT methods. The stretch between Thiruvanmiyur and Uthandi currently takes around one hour during peak hours. Once the elevated road is operational, motorists travelling towards Mamallapuram, Puducherry, and Cuddalore are expected to cover the same route in 15 to 20 minutes. The project will provide relief across 13 traffic-heavy junctions including Neelankarai, Kottivakkam, Vettuvankeni, Injambakkam, Akkarai, and Panaiyur. Exit ramps will be built at LB Road Junction, Thiruvanmiyur RTO, Neelankarai, Injambakkam, and Akkarai. The corridor will function as a toll road under a closed-gate system. Charges will be collected based on distance travelled.  Along with easing congestion on ECR, the corridor will serve as an alternative route for commuters moving from Adyar to Kelambakkam, Thiruporur, and Mambakkam through ECR, reducing pressure on the busy OMR stretch. At present, the section handles nearly 70,000 passenger car units daily. Officials expect the new flyover to bring smoother traffic flow for both local and intercity travellers.Alongside this project, the six-laning of a 9.2 km portion between Thiruvanmiyur and Akkarai is close to completion, with about 90 per cent of work already done. Currently, the state’s longest operational elevated corridor is the 7.3 km Madurai–Natham road. Once completed, the Thiruvanmiyur–Uthandi corridor will be the longest of its kind in Tamil Nadu.