Skip to main content

How will policies affect the construction industry?




Mr. Japnit Singh, Senior Director, Singapore and India, Spire Research and Consulting



India, as the world’s seventh largest country by area and second biggest by population, is one of the most dynamically growing, but largely untapped construction equipment markets. From 2013 to 2020, it is estimated to grow six times to a size of USD20 billion to USD25 billion.

The Planning Commission, Government of India, jointly with the Indian construction industry has set up Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC) to take up activities for the development of the Indian construction industry. The Council, for the first time in the country, provides the impetus and organizational infrastructure to raise quality levels across the industry. This helps to secure wider appreciation of the interests of construction business by the government, industry and peer groups in society. CIDC is a change agent to accelerate a process of self-reform that should enable the industry to answer the challenges of the future.

In India, construction is the second largest economic activity after agriculture. Construction accounts for nearly 65 per cent of the total investment in infrastructure and is expected to be the biggest beneficiary of the surge in infrastructure investment over the next five years. Investment in construction accounts for nearly 11 per cent of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The construction industry has been witness to a strong growth wave powered by large spends on housing, road, ports, water supply, and rail transport and airport development.

While the construction sector's growth has fallen as compared to the pre-2008 period, it has picked up in the recent past. Its share as a percentage of GDP has increased considerably as compared to the last decade. To put things in perspective, the total investment in infrastructure - which in this case includes roads, railways, ports, airports, electricity, telecommunications, oil gas pipelines and irrigation – is estimated to have increased from 5.7% of GDP in 2007 to around 8.0% by 2012.

Boom in construction equipment –

The construction equipment sector in India has been growing at a scorching pace of 30% annually, mainly driven by the huge investments being made by the government and the private sector in infrastructure development. The growth of this sector is directly interlinked with the growth of the Indian economy and indirectly with the growth of infrastructure. The last few years is a phase of restructuring in the industry through acquisitions and joint ventures. This also reflects the active interest of international majors in the domestic market. Many international players have been looking for importing and selling complete equipment in India. Some international companies are looking at the prospects of enhancing their market presence based on higher investment in mining and infrastructure and also using their Indian operations to meet demand in India. The construction equipment-rental business in India, which currently accounts for only around 7 to 8 per cent of the size of the global industry, is another growth driver.

FDI norms to be eased –

A draft note to be submitted to the Cabinet once it is finalized, is proposing to ease conditions under entry guidelines, minimum area requirement and minimum lock-in period for investments. Current FDI policy permits 100% foreign investment, including in housing, townships and construction infrastructure with several restrictions. These include a three-year lock-in period for investments in housing and townships, a minimum built-up area of 50,000 square meters and minimum capitalisation of $10 million for wholly-owned subsidiaries.

To make the sector more attractive, the Housing Ministry has proposed that the minimum lock-in period be reduced, the built-up area required be brought down to 20,000 sq. m and minimum capitalization reduced to $5 million.

Procuring capital from foreign investors for projects in India

As opportunities in the sector continue to come to the fore, foreign direct investment has been moving upwards. The real estate and construction sectors received FDI of €216.53 million in the first half of the current fiscal year.

To maintain consistent growth, foreign investment is crucial for India. The Indian Government has indicated its intention to create an environment, friendly to foreign investors by allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) up to 100 per cent in 2005 in townships, built-up housing and construction development projects with the liberalization of FDI regulations. Also, the recent decision of Indian Government of opening up retail in multi brand will not just benefit the retail industry but will also push up the demand for commercial real estate throughout the country.

According to statistics available with Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Construction development (including townships, housing, built-up infrastructure & construction-development projects) sector has attracted a cumulative foreign direct investment worth USD 22,007.67 million from April 2000 to February 2013. FDI flows into the construction sector for the period April 12 - February 13 stood at USD 1,260 million. The Indian Construction Industry is an integral part of the economy.

Liberalization of policies and a deliberate attempt made by the Indian Government can open several doors to the construction companies. Opening up of FDI in relation to township, housing, built-up infrastructure and construction of development projects by allowing FDI upto 100% under automatic route was the first step towards promoting the participation of the foreign investors in construction industry.

Challenges:

·         Poor penetration of construction equipment and a large dependence on skilled labor

·         Current economic situation may have an adverse impact on construction industry.

·         High cost of capital coupled with a lack of options for rental equipment

·         Poor transportation infrastructure to move equipment and material opportunities

·         Continuous private sector housing boom will create more construction opportunities.

·         A hunger for technology amongst investors who are frustrated about long turnover time and project delays

·         A growing demand for prefabricated construction.

·         Public sector projects through Public Private Partnerships will bring further opportunities.

·      Developing supply chain through involvement in large projects is likely to enhance the chance in construction.

·         Renewable energy projects will offer opportunities to develop skills and capacity in new markets.


Comments

  1. Very valuable post about the policies in construction equipments! Generally people are not aware of these kind of policies!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very important policies one should know who is sailing in the field confined to construction equipments

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Side Click: Are you under the surveillance camera?

Identifying VIPs with strong purchasing power is crucial to retail success. More often than not, retail staff fail to do this in time. Facial recognition technology can help prevent this. But does it put our privacy at risk? With high-spending customers making out-sized contributions to retail profitability, it is increasingly crucial for retailers to provide personalized customer service the minute a VIP customer sets foot in the store. For instance, Katie Holmes reportedly spent USD100,000 on a fashion makeover and USD14,200 on lingerie alone in 2012! This is where identification technology can play a role. NEC, a Japan-based ICT vendor, has developed an identification application based on a facial recognition system – comparing the individual’s facial features against its database, and sending prompts when a match is identified. The initial purpose of the application was to help identify terrorists and criminals , but it was subsequently adapted to the retail setting....

Congestion stops traffic in SEA’s megacities

44 million people are being added to Southeast Asia’s urban population each year. As motor vehicle populations keep doubling every 5 to 7 years, what measures are being taken to tackle traffic congestion? Japnit Singh, Senior Director, Singapore and India of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. Southeast Asia’s middle-class continues to boom, fuelling car population increases despite the relative lack of infrastructure. According to the Asian Development Bank, the region’s major cities suffer from some of the highest air pollution levels globally – as much as 80 per cent being attributable to road transport. Singh cautioned that building roads is not a solution, as this region faces severe practical limitations and escalating costs due to shortage of land in urban areas. In Bangkok for example, roads have the capacity for two million motor vehicles whereas five million ply the city’s roads each day. This has led to the military g...

The Earthquake in Nepal jolts the economy

Nepal – one of the poorest countries in the world – had a rude awakening when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck on 25 April 2015. The impact was tragic. Casualties continue to rise, with immense damage to infrastructure. Will the nation be able to pick up the shattered pieces of its economy? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. With the estimated cost of rehabilitation set to hit USD5 billion – a quarter of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD20 billion in 2014 – the economic impact of the earthquake is massive. According to United Nation’s data, 8 million people are directly in the line of fire. Both agriculture – with well over 70% of the population employed in this sector – and tourism have been badly afflicted. Perera opined that the disaster will also impact the nation’s ability to grow and transport fresh food – the agricultural sector alone accounts for 38% of GDP. Moreover, ...

As Sri Lanka’s population ages, the insurance market booms

As Sri Lanka experiences demographic shifts – by 2021, 16.7% of the population could be aged 60 or above – the life insurance market is booming. The nation’s average economic growth stands at a brisk 6.2% since the end of the bitter civil war in 2009, with services and manufacturing leading the way. As Sri Lankans live longer, demand is surging for insurance products such as endowment and pension policies, with retirement planning taking a front seat. Will insurance continue to be one of Sri Lanka’s sunrise industries? For further information, click here.

Spire speaks on ICT sector at the GATES Vietnam ICT Channel Summit in Da Nang

Spire was honored to participate in the GATES Vietnam ICT Channel Summit 2019 as Event Partner. The Summit was held on 11-13 December, in Da Nang. Japnit Singh, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Spire Group, shared his insights on scope and opportunities. Japnit discussed how the ICT sector in Vietnam holds lucrative opportunities. The country boasts the fastest growing economy in South-East Asia with around 13% GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth for manufacturing from FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in 2018. With the 4th fastest download speed in ASEAN, Vietnam’s digital economy continues to grow. E-commerce growth is expected to be 14% from 2019 to 2023, with 97% of online purchases executed through mobile phones. The government’s Digital Economy 2020 plan aims to promote smart cities across the country by 2030. Regulatory reform aims to ease digitization in the government and encourage local businesses to adopt technology. To that end, the government plans to is...