The JSW Group has secured INR 9,300 crore in financing to acquire Akzo Nobel India for INR 12,915 crore. This financing mix includes an INR 3,300 crore operating company-level debt from foreign lenders, a INR 3,000 crore convertible instrument from private credit funds, and a INR 3,000 crore loan against shares from domestic mutual funds. This acquisition aims to make JSW Paints India's fourth-largest paint company. The funding strategy also potentially includes proceeds from a recent INR 1,210 crore stake sale by promoters.Read more

New RBI guidelines banning prepayment charges on floating rate loans will impact MSME-focused lenders and those providing loans against property. Released last week, these rules, effective from January 1, 2026, mean regulated entities cannot charge for early repayment on such loans. Lenders may need to adjust business models, exploring fixed-rate structures or upfront pricing to recover costs. While small finance banks, middle layer NBFCs, and urban co-operative banks retain some flexibility for business loans up to INR 50 lakh, the directive aims to standardize practices across the financial sector.Read more

Kolkata's office leasing volume reached 11 lakh sq ft from January to July 2025, marking a 60% year-on-year increase and the highest half-yearly transaction volume in a decade. This surge was driven by large IT outsourcing and flexible workspace deals. Office vacancy rates dropped to 33.5%. However, the residential market saw an 11% sales decline and 29% drop in new launches. Despite this, unsold residential inventory decreased by 12%, showing a healthier market balance, indicating a strong commercial segment contrasting with a paused residential sector.Read more

Smartworks Coworking Spaces will launch its INR 583 crore IPO on July 10, with a price band of INR 387-407 per share. The IPO closes on July 14, with anchor bidding on July 9. The fresh issue has been trimmed to INR 445 crore and the offer for sale reduced to 33.79 lakh shares. Proceeds will fund fit-outs, security deposits, loan repayments, and general corporate needs. Specialising in large, tech-enabled office campuses, Smartworks serves mid-to-large companies across cities like Bengaluru, Gurugram, and Mumbai. From FY23 to FY25, it added 2.83 million sq ft of space and recorded 38.98% CAGR in revenue. JM Financial and others are managing the offering.Read more

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts, through its Finnish subsidiary Holiday Club Resorts Oy, has fully acquired Keskin in Kiinteistö Oy Salla Star (KKOSS) for INR 2.35 crore in an all-cash deal. The acquisition transitions Mahindra from a lessee to the outright owner of a holiday property in Märkäjärvi, Salla, Finland—previously leased since 2012 under a share purchase arrangement. KKOSS is now a wholly owned unit, with no related-party involvement. This move strengthens Mahindra's footprint in Europe's leisure market, particularly in the scenic Lapland region. The company now gains full control to upgrade or integrate the resort into its broader Holiday Club portfolio across Finland.Read more

Global Capability Centres (GCCs) were the biggest contributors to India's office leasing in the past financial year, accounting for 42% of total leasing activity up from 41% previously. They occupied 31.8 million sq ft of office space, recording a 24% year-on-year growth. While the number of deals dipped slightly, the average deal size increased considerably, with large-sized transactions rising 44%. Nearly 43% of this demand came from Fortune 500 companies. The leasing momentum was strongest in Bengaluru, followed by Mumbai, NCR, Pune, and Hyderabad, with sectoral growth led by IT, BFSI, and life sciences.Read more

India's real estate sector witnessed extraordinary growth last week, with capital mobilisation jumping more than threefold in FY25, climbing from INR 109,554 million to INR 328,526 million, driven by 17 major transactions. Large-cap firms topped the charts in fundraising, followed by REITs, mid-caps, and small-caps. Notably, REITs generated around 17.9% returns, outperforming both the Sensex and realty equities. Over the longer term since 2021, smaller real estate players have outshone their bigger counterparts and benchmark indices a testament to rising investor confidence across segments.Read more

In a focused effort to support the unorganized sector, over 12,000 construction workers in Kodagu district in Karnataka have now been registered with the state's Construction Workers Welfare Board. This registration grants them access to a wide range of government-backed benefits, including financial assistance for children's education, medical treatments, pensions, maternity care, disability support, and funeral expenses. Marriage grants and aid for preschool nutrition are also available. The district's labour department is pushing for clean, genuine enrolment especially after earlier state-wide concerns around fraudulent claims and underutilized welfare funds. The initiative is part of a broader effort to ensure construction workers receive the entitlements they're due.Read more

India will host the 7th International Real Estate Conference (IREC) in Hyderabad in September 2026, marking a major win for the country's property sector. Organized by NAR-INDIA and Hyderabad Realtors Association, the event will bring together over 600 global real estate leaders, investors, and policymakers. NAR-INDIA secured the bid at IREC 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, where India's potential drew strong investor interest. IREC 2026 will spotlight Hyderabad's smart-city progress, host investor roundtables, and showcase landmark projects. With themes like proptech, ESG, and global investment, the event highlights India's growing leadership in real estate. High-level government participation and global media coverage are also expected.Read more

Reliance Retail has initiated a major internal restructuring by transferring its fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands business to a newly formed entity New Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (New RCPL). The move, cleared for creditor approval by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in Mumbai, is intended to grant the consumer brands division more focused management, dedicated resources, and investment potential. New RCPL will mirror the same shareholding structure as Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL), with the consumer business being transferred as a going concern through a slump sale.Read more

India's top eight property markets witnessed a marginal 2 per cent decline in residential sales during January to June 2025, totalling 1,70,201 units, as per data released by Knight Frank. In contrast, office space leasing registered a 41 per cent surge, reaching 48.9 million square feet in the same period. The consultant highlighted that 49 per cent of residential sales were for properties priced above INR 1 crore, with prices rising by up to 14 per cent. Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Pune, and Kolkata led the commercial leasing recovery, with Bengaluru alone more than doubling its leased area.Read more

IL&FS has moved the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) seeking to disqualify Brookfield's affiliate, Chronos Properties, from acquiring its marquee commercial property in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai. The objection comes after Chronos failed to renew an INR 108 crore performance guarantee, which expired this week. IL&FS alleges that this breach voids the Letter of Intent (LoI) issued for the INR 1,080 crore transaction. With commercial property rates in BKC surging, IL&FS now wants the bid scrapped and permission to entertain new offers. The tribunal is currently reviewing the case.Read more

A new study by the United Nations Development Programme, conducted in collaboration with the University of Denver's Pardee Institute and Octopus Energy, finds that linking renewable energy targets with inclusive development policies could lift 193 million people out of extreme poverty by 2060. The most ambitious scenario modeled in the report shows potential for massive social gains like universal electricity access and reduction in malnutrition alongside USD 20.4 trillion in economic savings. The findings come as fossil fuels continue to dominate energy consumption, despite record investments in clean energy.Read more

Major civic bodies in Maharashtra and Jharkhand reported varied yet positive property tax collections in Q1 FY26. Nagpur's NMC collected INR 88.85 crore, a 20% increase, reaching nearly 23% of its taxpayers. On the other hand Ranchi's RMC achieved its highest-ever Q1 collection at INR 39.33 crore, a 19.4% rise, surpassing its Q1 target. Another civic body to set a benchmark is Pimpri Chinchwad's (PCMC) that collected INR 522 crore, over 50% of last year's total. These cities employed diverse strategies, including rebates, extensive online options, door-to-door drives, and data analytics, as municipalities nationwide prioritize revenue generation for urban services and infrastructure.Read more

Punjab registered a 44.44% growth in net Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections in June 2025, reaching INR 2,379.90 crore, as stated by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. This places Punjab above the national average in growth. The state's net GST collection for Q1 FY26 reached INR 6,830.40 crore, achieved despite ongoing military conflict. Cheema also highlighted increased field enforcement, leading to the uncovering of two major GST fraud cases involving over INR 180 crore in tax evasion. The report also detailed the state's efforts to manage legacy debt amidst rising fiscal obligations.Read more

The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has served a final notice to nearly 100 defaulters who have failed to clear outstanding dues totalling around INR 100 crore some pending for over 27 years. These include allottees of flats and plots across prominent schemes like Gomtinagar Extension, Kanpur Road, Sitapur Road and Kursi Road. Many of these are under affordable housing categories. The authority has warned that properties will be cancelled and registration amounts forfeited if payments are not cleared immediately. This move follows earlier efforts to auction nearly 5,000 unsold commercial properties and identify top defaulters with dues exceeding INR 460 crore.Read more

The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has reported strong growth in its financial indicators for the June quarter. Loan sanctions increased by 29% to INR 11,740 crore, while disbursements rose 31% to INR 6,981 crore. The state-owned agency's outstanding loan book stood at INR 79,960 crore on June 30, a 27% increase. These figures reflect a rise in demand for renewable energy financing, underscoring IREDA's role in India's clean energy transition and its ability to provide funding solutions.Read more

NTT recently submitted a draft prospectus for its NTT DC REIT IPO on the Singapore Exchange. The REIT will include six data centre facilities across the U.S., Austria, and Singapore, with a combined value of around USD 1.6 billion. Expected to fetch up to USD 1 billion, the listing is set to be among Singapore's largest and has already attracted major backers, including GIC, AM?Squared, and Viridian. The move aligns with Singapore's revived equity market, which recently saw a surge in IPO activity boosted by policy incentives.Read more

Brigade Hotel Ventures Ltd, the hospitality arm of Bengaluru-based Brigade Enterprises, has raised INR 126 crore in a pre-IPO funding round from 360 ONE Alternates Asset Management. This investment, made at INR 90 per share, gives 360 ONE a 4.74% stake ahead of the company's planned INR 900 crore initial public offering. The proceeds will primarily go towards debt reduction and land acquisition, while also supporting the firm's inorganic expansion strategy. With a robust portfolio of 1,604 rooms spread across major South Indian cities and GIFT City, the company is seen as a significant player in the hospitality space.Read more

Institutional investments in Indian real estate saw a sharp 33% dip in the April-June quarter, touching USD 1.69 billion, primarily due to a cautious stance from global investors amid economic and geopolitical uncertainties. Data from Colliers India revealed that foreign investment nearly halved, while domestic participation surged by 32%. Notably, domestic capital now accounts for 48% of total real estate investments in H1 2025, up from 16% in 2021. This shift in funding dynamics has helped partially offset the decline in foreign institutional inflows and maintain a stable investment environment.Read more