Knight Frank Launches Active Capital: The 2018 Report

Overseas capital investment in India touches USD 2.6 bn recording a 31% growth according to Knight Frank’s Active Capital: The 2018 Report

 Ranks an impressive 19th position amongst the 73 countries that attracted cross-border capital into their property market in 2017

Mumbai, June 25, 2018: Knight Frank, the independent global property consultancy, today launched Active Capital: The 2018 Report. Looking at the shifts in capital flows, the report dives into the sources and destinations of cross-border investments in commercial real estate.

Key India findings of the report:

India ranks an impressive 19^th position amongst the 73 countries that attracted cross-border capital into their property market in 2017. With USD 2.6 bn of cross-border capital inflows (excluding development sites), India ranks ahead of its Asia Pacific regional counterparts like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippines, which collectively attracted lesser capital flows compared to India.

Capital flows into Indian property market have been 10 times higher than the outflows in 2017. USD 2.6 bn of inflow was recorded compared to outbound capital flows to the tune of USD 0.26 bn last year. Led by a battery of reforms like RERA, GST and demonetisation, the attractiveness of Indian real estate potential has caught the fancy of international investors and developers alike resulting into this favourable investment account.

Compared to 86% share in 2016, United States, Canada and Singapore collectively contributed to 84% of capital inflows to Indian property followed by United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong in 2017.

Table: Source of capital inflows (excluding development sites) in to India

Rank	Source	2017 Investment Volumes ($)	Share
1	United States	893,454,127	34%
2	Canada	746,837,396	28%
3	Singapore	571,655,965	22%
4	United Kingdom	362,519,460	14%
5	United Arab Emirates	48,202,742	2%
6	Hong Kong	20,896,118	1%
		2,643,565,808	100%

80% of the outbound capital flows from India find place in Austria, United States and Singapore collectively. The rest finds way into United Kingdom and Portugal property market.

Table: Destination of capital outflows (excluding development sites) from India

Rank	Destination	2017 Investment Volumes ($)	Share
1	Austria	85,713,778	32%
2	United States	76,150,000	29%
3	Singapore	49,714,478	19%
4	United Kingdom	30,635,678	12%
5	Portugal	23,802,096	9%
		266,016,030	100%

While the capital outflow from India has been volatile for a long period, between 2014-2017, the outflows subsided to USD 1.9 bn compared to USD 2.5 bn during 2010-2013. In the latest four-year period, the inflows were over four times the outflows compared to the earlier four-year period when they were just over one time. The changes in business environment brought by landmark reforms like GST, demonetisation and RERA besides others; coupled with government impetus for housing and an imminent possibility for REITs as an asset vehicle has improved the prospects of the Indian property market as an attractive investment destination.

Table: Cross-border capital flows (excluding development sites) into real estate

	2010 - 2013	2014 - 2017
Inbound capital (into India)	$ 2.7 bn	$ 8.0 bn
Outbound capital (from India)	$ 2.5 bn	$ 1.9 bn
Inbound/Outbound	1.1	4.2

Shishir Baijal, Chairman & Managing Director, Knight Frank India, said “Cross-border capital inflows (excluding development sites) to India stood at USD 2.6 bn in 2017 recording a 31% growth over 2016. Ranking an impressive 19th position amongst 73 countries that attracted cross-border capital into their property market, India has surged ahead of its Asia Pacific regional counterparts which collectively attracted lesser capital flows compared to India.

The changes in business environment brought by landmark reforms like GST and RERA besides others coupled with government impetus for affordable housing and an imminent possibility for REITs as an asset vehicle have infused confidence among the stakeholders of the Indian property market. In the latest four-year period (2014 – 2017), the inflows were over four times the outflows compared to the earlier four-year period (2010 – 2013) when they were at par. This highlights a paradigm shift in Indian realty’s potential as an attractive investment avenue.”