A major cement manufacturer reported nearly a three-fold increase in its consolidated net profit, reaching ?395 crore for the June quarter, supported by improved sales realisation and reduced expenses. In the same period last year, the profit stood at ?145 crore, according to a regulatory filing.

Revenue from operations remained largely unchanged at ?3,636 crore in the June quarter, compared to ?3,621 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year.

Sales volume rose by 5.8% to 7.4 million tonnes during the quarter.

According to the company’s Managing Director and CEO, the beginning of the year marked a recovery in cement realisations across key markets, which contributed to strong EBITDA performance. The EBITDA margin improved to 24.3%, an increase of 5.8 percentage points from the previous year.

EBITDA for the quarter stood at ?883 crore, reflecting a 32% year-on-year increase.

The Chief Financial Officer stated that supported by a strong balance sheet, disciplined capital allocation, and a healthy profitability outlook, the company is steadily progressing toward its goal of becoming a pan-India player.

Total expenses declined by 5.4% to ?3,183 crore in the quarter under review. Total income, including other income, reached ?3,685 crore.

With an installed production capacity of 49.5 million tonnes per annum, the company ranks among the largest cement manufacturers in the country.

On Tuesday, its shares closed 2.46% higher at ?2,319.15 on the stock exchange.

A housing finance institution reported a 23% rise in net profit to ?534 crore for the first quarter ended June 2025. In the same quarter last year, the organisation had posted a net profit of ?433 crore.

Total income for the quarter increased to ?2,082 crore, up from ?1,832 crore reported during the corresponding period of the previous financial year, according to a regulatory filing.

Interest income rose to ?1,980 crore from ?1,739 crore recorded a year earlier. Net interest income grew 17% to ?760 crore at the end of Q1 FY25 compared to ?651 crore in the year-ago period.

The net interest margin improved to 3.75%, slightly higher than 3.65% reported in the first quarter of the previous year.

Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) declined to 1.06%, compared with 1.3% at the end of June 2024.

The capital adequacy ratio stood at 29.68% as of June 30, 2025, with Tier I capital at 28.96% and Tier II at 0.72%. This compares to a ratio of 29.50% a year earlier, with Tier I capital at 28.43% and Tier II at 0.72%.

In a move aimed at enhancing transparency and fairness in property transactions, the state govt has amended the stamp rule framework to introduce the concept of composite value for apartments and flats, and has also enabled more flexible revisions of guideline values. The new rules, notified on June 23, mark a shift in the way property valuation is conducted in TN. They empower the valuation committee to revise guideline values at any point during the year, rather than waiting for a specific month. "Earlier, revisions were tied to Oct. But if a decision to revise was taken in April, we had to wait. Now, updates can happen whenever needed. But the process has not been changed. District level committees will still be involved in decision making. They also direct officials to consider new parameters while valuing apartments under TN Apartment Ownership Act, 2022, including quality of construction, width of the road, proximity to transport and markets, and amenities provided. All district registrars and sub-registrars have been instructed to implement the changes immediately. The department's online systems will also be updated, and revised values published in the coming weeks. Echoing similar sentiments, J M S Nagarjunan, general secretary, Alliance of Residents Welfare Associations, pointed to the wide gap between guideline and market values in places such as Nanganallur, where land sells for 12,000/sqft but the guideline rate is just 4,500. "This gap encourages black money. If guideline values are increased reasonably, —say to 9,000—it will reduce underhand dealings and reflect realistic pricing," he said, adding that the govt should also consider lowering stamp duty to benefit genuine homebuyers.
 

In a major decision expected to benefit thousands of property owners, the state authorities have approved the regularisation of properties issued secondary documentation up to September 30, 2024. These properties will now qualify for primary certification, providing long-awaited legal clarity and enabling access to essential civic utilities such as electricity, water, and sewage services.

This step has been taken to streamline the city’s property development system and curb unauthorized or unregulated construction, according to officials.

Secondary property documents have long created legal uncertainty. Introduced in 2009 for properties that did not comply with planning or zoning regulations, these documents prevented owners from obtaining occupancy certificates, completion certificates, and basic utility connections. With the issuance of such documents discontinued from September 30, 2024, there was growing pressure on the government to provide clarity for owners who had been issued these documents over the years.

Collectively, the new measures represent a major restructuring of the city’s urban governance framework. By resolving documentation disputes and decentralizing municipal functions, the government aims to improve accountability, enhance service delivery, and offer greater legal certainty for property owners in one of the country’s fastest-growing real estate markets.

A global investment fund has completed the acquisition of an affordable housing finance provider, according to an official statement.

The fund will invest ?500 crore ($58 million) as growth capital to support the organisation’s expansion into new regions and to strengthen its digital infrastructure.

The housing finance institution, established in 2017, offers affordable mortgage solutions to retail borrowers in tier-2 to tier-4 cities and has supported more than 47,000 low-income homeowners and small businesses. As of March 31, 2025, it had assets under management exceeding ?3,000 crore, consisting primarily of granular, retail, and secured loans.

The chairperson of the newly formed board stated that the organisation is well positioned to expand access to homeownership. They added that the board’s collective experience will offer strong strategic guidance and oversight, ensuring responsible growth with a focus on customer needs and prudent operational practices.

Soon, residents can look forward to living closer to work, more housing options, and better civic infrastructure. CMDA's upcoming third master plan is considering a higher FSI in key zones, mixed-use development, and phased upgrades to support compact, vertical growth across the city. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is preparing the third master plan (TMP) for the 1,189 sq km of Chennai Metropolitan Area. To reshape Chennai's skyline, the plan proposes higher FSI in targeted zones such as metro corridors, entertainment zones, commercial centres, and industrial belts to boost vertical growth. "We need to make better use of city space — increasing FSI near metros, malls, green zones, and industrial areas in a planned manner, rather than blindly, will help more people live closer to work and transport, while making the most of existing infrastructure, Meanwhile, CMDA is also planning to improve underground amenities to  support vertical growth. "We understand that increasing FSI without adequate infrastructure upgrades — particularly underground sewage, water supply, and roads — could strain already overstretched civic services. We recommend phasing utilities based on carrying capacity," the official. That strategy is valid even today and can be pursued. Another critical issue is the inter-institutional coordination. The onus to make other functional agencies have a sense of ownership for the master plan lies with CMDA," he added. CMDA minister P K Sekarbabu said that the master plan will be rolled out on time.
 

Hoembyers in the city may face delayed possessions as technical glitches and approval baclogs in the chennai Metropolitan Development Authority CMDA portal stall real estates projects. Developers cite repeated processing of Completion Certificates CC particularly for high rise buildings. Builders have raised concerns over persistant technicals issues and administrative delays hampering the apparoval and completion process. The major problem, they say lies in uploading large project flies on CMDA  online portal. Even after obtaining approvals, the release of the sanction plan is often delayed. This affects critical project activities such as bank funding, legal clearances, and on-site work, creating uncertainty for developers, investors, and homebuyers alike. Completion Certificates — essential for handing over finished units — are also delayed, despite developers meeting all clearance requirements. We understand checks for buildings or setback violations, but CMDA staff are now raising objections even for minor architectural fins, claiming they affect setback areas, said a builder. "It now takes 60 to 90 days to get the CC. Even in a clean case, it takes 45 days. Homebuyers are forced to pay EMI without taking possession of their homes," said a builder. A senior CMDA official acknowledged the issue, stating, "We are studying the DTCP software, which seems to be more efficient. The glitches will be addressed." He, however, said that there are issues pertaining to incomplete documentation done by certain architects. "This is a major hurdle. We are planning to conduct training sessions again. 
 

Housing finance companies (HFCs) are expected to post modest earnings for the June quarter, as industry-wide loan disbursals rose about 8% year-on-year, according to analyst estimates. However, margins are likely to come under pressure due to heightened competition from banks and the impact of recent rate cuts. Additionally, provisioning costs may rise amid slower recoveries, potentially resulting in flat growth in profit after tax.

Analysts estimate that the assets under management (AUM) of HFCs are expected to surpass ?3.7 lakh crore by the end of the June quarter, marking a 1% sequential growth. However, loan disbursals may decline by over 26% quarter-on-quarter due to seasonally weak demand.

“Bank credit to HFCs has been slowing due to weaker demand, decelerating from 13.0% year-on-year in July 2024 to 9.0% in May 2025,” said an analyst. “While banks' housing credit growth was tepid at 0.9% in May 2025, the increased liquidity in the system could lead to a slight pickup in housing credit, further intensifying competition for HFCs.”

HFCs are expected to report subdued loan growth and disbursements as the sector maintains a cautious approach amid ongoing asset quality and collection challenges.

A warehousing and logistics parks developer is planning to invest more than ?550 crore to build its second industrial and logistics (I&L) park in the state, taking total investment to over ?1,000 crore. The company entered south India last year, investing more than ?450 crore to develop its first park on a 50-acre land parcel in Hosur.

The second warehousing facility, spanning 60 acres, will be built in the Sriperumbudur-Oragadam corridor with a development potential of 1.6 million sq ft, adding to the 1.25 million sq ft at the first park.

“Over the next 2 to 3 years, our goal is to scale up to over 10 million square feet of high-quality, sustainable infrastructure across key high-growth corridors,” said the managing director.

Construction of the new park is likely to begin by March-April 2026, and the development is estimated to generate over 1,500 jobs. The project will cater to the evolving needs of global and domestic manufacturers, particularly in the automotive, electronics, and engineering sectors.

A favourable regulatory backdrop, along with government support through policy and reforms, is expected to boost infrastructure spending and overall demand for modern logistics facilities. Confidence among developers, owners, operators, and investors in this asset class has remained high, driven by the rapidly increasing need for last-mile deliveries and logistics.

A life insurance company has reported a 14.6% year-on-year (YoY) increase in individual premium collection in June 2025, higher than the 12.12% growth recorded by private life insurers, according to Life Insurance Council data. In June 2025, the company collected ?5,313 crore in individual premiums, compared to ?8,408 crore collected collectively by 25 private sector insurers.

During the month, total policies issued by the company stood at 12.49 lakh, down from 14.65 lakh in the same period last year. In the individual policies segment, 12.48 lakh policies were issued, compared to 14.62 lakh in June 2024. Group policies stood at 1,290, down from 2,827 a year ago.

In group premium income, the company earned ?22,087 crore, a 7% decline from June 2024, while the private sector reported a 19% drop at ?5,315 crore. Total premium income for the company declined 3.43% to ?27,395 crore, compared with a 2.45% decline to ?13,722 crore for private insurers.

The Madras High Court has imposed a ?1 lakh cost on a municipal commissioner, expressing dissatisfaction over inaction on unauthorized construction in a city zone. The first bench of the Chief Justice and a Justice directed the state government to deduct the amount from the commissioner’s salary and deposit it into the account of a cancer institute.

The order came on a contempt petition filed by an advocate, alleging that the municipal corporation failed to comply with a court order dated April 8, 2022, to remove unauthorized constructions in the zone. During the hearing, the court censured the corporation for not taking sufficient action against illegal buildings, noting that it gave the impression of unwillingness to act against violators.

The bench accused the commissioner of intentionally not providing adequate details of actions taken, including notices issued, responses received, and demolitions carried out. The affidavit only mentioned that around 242 buildings were locked and sealed.

Since the corporation failed to provide the promised details within the stipulated time, the court imposed the cost on the commissioner.