Mar 19 2010
The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) today unveiled its Urban India Construction Reports, the first-ever in-depth analysis of the construction industry in India's top 10 cities. Despite the economic downturn, the reports forecast moderate to high growth over the next two years in several key construction categories in India -- including the infrastructure, industrial and institutional sectors, which are being driven by large-scale projects and soaring demand for more high-quality healthcare and educational facilities.
The reports, to be released this month from McGraw-Hill Construction and CRISIL Ltd., a Standard & Poor's company, examine trends, growth areas, and opportunities for global construction firms in India's $215 billion construction market.(1) McGraw-Hill Construction and CRISIL researched India's top 10 urban markets: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, and the National Capital Region including Delhi, with the goal of understanding how these markets are positioned for the next two years.
"India remains one of the world's most robust construction markets. As the global recovery takes hold, this growing market is attracting new players from around the world, and our information and analysis is helping them find the right points of entry," said Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and chief executive officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies. "The combination of McGraw-Hill Construction's unparalleled industry expertise and CRISIL's keen understanding of India's markets will help advance the country's continued economic growth."
Mr. McGraw is in India this week to further deepen McGraw-Hill's relationships with customers, partners, employees and policymakers.
"A young population and rising income levels will continue to drive high growth in construction activity in India," said Roopa Kudva, managing director and chief executive officer, CRISIL, and region head, South Asia, Standard & Poor's. "The availability of high-quality information and analysis will be an important ingredient in the robust development of this sector, and this study is an important step in that direction."
Key findings include:
- Urban infrastructure projects, including metros, roads and sanitation, are a large area of growth in India, with over $35 billion in projects underway in these 10 cities. As infrastructure and standards of living improve, they will contribute to increased urban economic growth.
- Across all 10 cities, growth in institutional construction for hospitals and educational facilities will be driven by demand for quality healthcare and local population growth, resulting in over 160 new large-scale projects being completed by 2011.
- Growth in industrial construction will be driven by local industry demand. For example, the automobile industry in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Pune is fueling 40 new large-scale industrial construction projects in these three cities through 2011.
- Residential developers have adopted new innovative models, such as low-cost housing, to cater to the vast urban middle-income population, and this sector is projected to show moderate growth over the next two years.
- The slowdown in expansion plans of multinational companies, particularly IT and financial services firms, has resulted in pressure on the commercial construction market for office space and retail malls. However, in most urban markets, hotel construction will grow through 2011, driven by tourism and business travel demand. Over 150 premium hotels will be completed in these 10 cities over the next two years.
- Given the complexity and trends of Indian construction projects, there are significant opportunities for international market participants to bring their technologies and global best practices to India.
The reports are based on interviews with more than 600 local experts. In addition to key market characteristics for each city, major project information and breakdowns by construction sector, the reports detail emerging trends, such as sustainability, changes in government regulations, and the impact of new technologies.
"Our study confirms many exciting trends occurring in this rapidly expanding marketplace that firms providing technologies, products and services to the construction industry can capitalize on," said Harvey M. Bernstein, F.ASCE, LEED AP, vice president, global thought leadership and business development, McGraw-Hill Construction. "For example, sustainable design and construction, an important global trend, is increasingly taking hold in urban Indian projects as well, creating significant new opportunities for companies that have expertise in green building."
As the world struggles with depleting natural resources, sustainability in construction practices is an important area of focus in India. Even firms that do not apply for green certification often incorporate sustainability building practices, such as rainwater harvesting, into their projects.
Source: http://www.mcgraw-hill.com