Super-Cheap Housing Booms in Mumbai

Despite tumbles in the housing market, low-cost housing is undergoing a boom in Mumbai, India, where the need for affordable housing is high.

1 minute read

August 19, 2009, 8:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


Numerous firms are moving in the direction of super-affordable housing, with prices under $10,000.

"After launching the world's cheapest car this year - the bubble-shaped Nano - Tata's housing division announced plans in May to build so-called Nano Homes to cater to this underserved segment. It plans to build 1,300 small apartments outside Mumbai, with prices starting at about 380,000 rupees (about $8,600). The company also plans to launch low-cost housing projects outside other major Indian cities.

Matheran Realty, another real estate giant, plans to build 15,000 flats in the next three years in Matheran, outside Mumbai, available for about 220,000 rupees. India's Godrej group, meanwhile, plans to build a low-cost township outside the western city of Ahmedabad, with apartments ranging from 500,000 rupees to two million rupees."

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 in The Globe and Mail

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