In the first half of 2024, real estate developers have markedly shifted their focus towards premium and luxury housing segments, leading to a significant reduction in affordable housing launches. According to a JLL India report, new affordable housing units—defined as those costing below ₹50 lakh—fell by 21% during the April-June period across seven major Indian cities. This trend underscores a broader market shift as developers aim to capitalize on the increasing demand for high-end homes.
Market Dynamics Shift
Overall, 1.59 lakh new housing units were launched in the first half of 2024, a 5% increase from the 1.51 lakh units in the same period of 2023. However, this growth conceals a notable shift: the premium housing segment (₹3-5 crore) saw a staggering 170% year-on-year increase in launches, and the luxury segment (above ₹5 crore) experienced a 116% growth.
This trend is particularly evident in Mumbai and Hyderabad, which together accounted for 43% of new launches in the first half of the year. Factors driving this shift include higher profit margins, strong demand from affluent buyers, and developers’ strategic pivot towards catering to the evolving preferences for larger, more luxurious living spaces.
Decline in Affordable Housing
The new supply of affordable housing units dropped significantly, with only 13,277 units launched in the April-June quarter, compared to 16,728 units in the same period last year—a 21% decline. Similarly, units priced between ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore saw a 14% drop, from 55,701 units to 47,930 units.
Dominance of High-End Housing
High-end housing now dominates the market. In the ₹1-3 crore price range, new supply grew by 3% to 69,312 units from 67,119 units. The supply of units priced between ₹3-5 crore more than doubled to 19,202 units from 7,149 units, and in the above ₹5 crore category, new supply more than doubled to 9,734 units from 4,510 units.
Regional Trends
This shift is evident in several major cities. During the second quarter of 2024, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi NCR led in new project launches, accounting for about 60% of the total. Delhi NCR notably had a 64% share in high-end launches (homes priced ₹3 crore and above), driven by prominent developers focusing on luxury projects, especially in Gurugram.
Residential Sales Performance
The residential market continued its strong performance, with 1.5 lakh housing units sold nationwide in the first half of 2024—the highest ever for a half-yearly period. This represents a 22% increase from the same period in 2023. Bengaluru and Mumbai together accounted for approximately 45% of the half-yearly sales volume.
Robust sales have been driven by strong supply from reputed developers, favorable economic conditions, and positive buyer sentiment, with premium and luxury housing seeing particularly high demand.
Price Trends
The sustained demand for high-end housing has influenced price trends. In Q2 2024, residential prices in the top seven cities of India increased year-on-year by 5% to 20%. Delhi NCR saw the highest increase at 20%, followed by Bengaluru at around 15%.
In Bengaluru, the high demand for newly launched projects and the sale of about 28% of its Q2 2024 new launches within the same quarter contributed to the price growth. Specific locations such as Whitefield and North Bengaluru also saw capital value increases, further driving price growth.
Factors Driving Price Increases
The report notes that the restricted availability of under-construction inventory is pushing prices higher. Developers have responded to high demand by launching new phases of existing projects at elevated prices, contributing to overall property price growth.
Conclusion
The first half of 2024 has seen a significant shift in the real estate market, with a focus on premium and luxury housing segments. This shift has led to a decline in the launch of affordable housing units as developers target higher profit margins and meet the growing demand for high-end homes. The strong performance of the residential market, bolstered by favorable economic conditions and positive buyer sentiment, highlights the evolving dynamics of India’s real estate sector.