RJD’s Madan Shah breaks down outside Lalu’s residence, claims tickets on sale for Rs 2.7 crore

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Occupier and investor demand for commercial real estate remains solid, with office space absorption continuing across key markets such as India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, according to a Cushman & Wakefield report on the Asia-Pacific region, released on Wednesday.

Net absorption of office space across Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the first quarter of 2025 recorded a robust 20 per cent increase to 26 million square feet (msf) from 22 msf in the same quarter last year, the report states.

U.S. dollar strength and relatively attractive yields are driving increased global capital inflows into APAC real estate, particularly into stable sectors like logistics, data centres, and multifamily.

The downward trajectory in interest rates will also boost investments into the commercial real estate sector, according to the report.

With the evolving tariff situation and potential trade wars, manufacturing sectors exporting to the U.S. are most at risk. Nevertheless, ongoing supply chain diversifications are benefiting industrial hubs in Southeast Asia and India even as trade tensions persist.

Manufacturers will continue to evaluate their supply chain design and seek further opportunities for optimisation, the report points out.

The report states that hard policy shifts during the first 100 days of US President Donald Trump’s second term, especially around U.S. trade, tariffs and deregulation, have introduced significant volatility across global markets.

Yet, despite these rising global economic uncertainties, Asia Pacific’s economy and property markets are demonstrating resilience, underpinned by domestic drivers and strong market fundamentals.

Dominic Brown, Head of International Research at Cushman & Wakefield said, “While risks are clearly elevated, historical trends suggest that Asia Pacific’s property markets are well-positioned to rebound quickly once greater global clarity emerges. It is therefore, essential for occupiers and investors to stay nimble and adjust their strategies quickly so as to ride the wave of recovery once it happens.”

While APAC entered 2025 with strong momentum – buoyed by resilient domestic demand and continued investments in real estate – the policy turbulence is expected to moderate growth as businesses adopt a more cautious decision-making approach, the report added.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday raised India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.6 per cent for 2025-26 from 6.4 per cent earlier despite the punitive tariffs slapped by the US on the country’s exports.

The upward revision was on “carryover from a strong first quarter, more than offsetting the increase in the US effective tariff rate on imports from India since July”, the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook.

In the April-June quarter of 2025-26, India grew at its fastest pace in at least a year, clocking a GDP growth rate of 7.8 per cent on the back of strong private consumption.

With the government rolling out sweeping GST reforms with tax rates reduced on consumer goods and services across the board, the domestic demand is expected to gain further momentum ahead. This is expected to offset the negative impact on external demand for Indian goods due to the US tariff hike.

The IMF’s projection of a higher economic growth comes close on the heels of the World Bank raising its India growth forecast for FY26 to 6.5 per cent from 6.3 per cent.

The IMF has also projected that the growth of emerging market and developing economies will moderate from 4.3 per cent in 2024 to 4.2 per cent in 2025 and 4 per cent in 2026.

“Beyond China, emerging market and developing economies more broadly showed strength, sometimes because of particular domestic reasons, but recent signals point to a fragile outlook there as well,” the report states.

Higher US tariffs are curtailing external demand, and rising trade policy uncertainty is weighing on investment in major export-led economies, the report added.

Last week, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva lauded India as a key growth engine of the world economy amid changing global growth patterns.

“Global growth is forecast at roughly 3 per cent over the medium term—down from 3.7 per cent pre-pandemic. Global growth patterns have been changing over the years, notably with China decelerating steadily while India develops into a key growth engine,” she said.

Georgieva said that countries have put in place decisive economic policies, the private sector has adapted, and the US tariff turmoil has proved less severe than initially feared.

However, she said it was too early to heave a big sigh of relief, because “global resilience has not yet been fully tested. And there are worrying signs the test may come”.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, Aug 30 (IANS) Slamming the decision of the Karnataka government to hike the registration fee of properties from 1 per cent to 2 per cent, the state BJP has dubbed the move as ‘tax terrorism’ and ‘registration robbery’.

State BJP President B. Y. Vijayendra stated on Saturday that, price hikes and corruption have become a daily guarantee under the Karnataka government.

“People of the state now live in constant fear, wondering ‘what price will go up overnight while we sleep?’ The state government, which has failed to stabilise Karnataka’s financial condition and is now practically bankrupt, has decided that increasing prices is its only remaining option, thereby continuing to burden the lives of common citizens, ” Vijayendra charged.

Earlier, by drastically increasing stamp duty, the government had shattered the dreams of people wanting to own a home. Now, by hiking registration fees from 1 per cent to 2 per cent, it has effectively engaged in what can only be described as registration robbery, he stated.

“I strongly condemn this action. In the history of Karnataka, people have never seen a more oppressive government than the current one,” he said.

With false promises and unfulfilled schemes, the government has emptied the state’s treasury and now resorts to daily price hikes, pushing citizens into greater hardship, he claimed.

Ordinary citizens involved in property transactions like sale deeds, GPA registrations, joint development agreements, non-possession agreements, and usufruct agreements are now compelled to pay 2 per cent in registration fees. The common people, already suffering from price hikes, are cursing this government, he professed.

The government must immediately roll back the increased registration fees, or else be ready to face the wrath of the people, he warned.

State General Secretary and BJP MLA V. Sunil Kumar charged, “The Congress government in the state has gone beyond even the bandits of the Chambal Valley in looting the common people. From cess on petroleum products, parking tax, and water rate hikes, to a multitude of other levies, the Siddaramaiah government is engaging in a kind of tax terrorism.”

Shockingly, just a day after the Ganesh festival celebrations, the government has increased the registration and stamp duty charges from 1 per cent to 2 per cent. This will come into effect statewide from Monday, he stated.

Similarly, the admission fees for PG courses at Mangalore University have also been hiked. The Congress government has created a situation where it is almost impossible for anyone to escape the drought of price hikes, he stated.

According to one estimate, the state government is collecting Rs 56,000 crore annually through this tax terrorism. But where is all this money going? Sunil Kumar questioned.

–IANS

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