Finance Minister to Unveil Union Budget with Focus on Housing Affordability, Infrastructure Development

Mumbai, January 25 - The highly-awaited Union Budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 is set to be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2025. As investors and stakeholders await the financial framework proposed by the government, experts from Asit C. Mehta Investment Intermediates Limited (ACMIIL) have highlighted critical expectations from the real estate sector.

The note pointed out that the affordable housing shortage is projected to rise sharply, with India projected to face a 31.2 million unit shortfall by 2030, up from an existing scarcity of 10.1 million units currently. The industry has called for targeted measures aimed at boosting housing affordability and infrastructure development, in order to tackle this looming challenge.

Key highlights of the sector's expectations from the Union Budget include concrete steps towards promoting affordable housing, incentives for private developers to build more affordable homes, subsidies for first-time homebuyers, and dedicated funding channels for infrastructure development. With the stakes high, industry leaders hope that these measures will address their pressing concerns and drive a slowdown in the impending slump in real estate sales.

As the government is set to unveil its vision for transforming India's housing market on February 1, stakeholders are eagerly waiting to see how it plans to tackle the shortage and boost growth. With economic uncertainties surrounding the nation, all eyes are on the budget, which may hold key clues for investors and policy-makers alike.