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India’s New Property Sweet Spot

India’s New Property Sweet Spot

October 09, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

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Good Morning. In India’s growing real estate market, luxury isn’t just for billionaires anymore. Certain well-off buyers are going for homes priced between Rs 5-10 crore, making it the new emerging trend in Indian markets. These buyers not only want larger homes, but also additional amenities with them. And developers are cashing in on this.

India's equity indices dipped on Wednesday after four consecutive sessions of highs. The NSE Nifty50 closed at 25,046.15, down 62.15 points or 0.25%. The BSE Sensex closed at 81,773.66, down 153.09 points or 0.19%

In other news, UK prime minister Keir Starmer wants India-UK trade deal implemented soon. Meanwhile, gold soars to a historic high.

DECODE THE NEWS

The Rs 5-10 Crore Home Is India’s New Luxury Sweet Spot

By Katya Naidu

What?

The idea of a luxurious home in India is fast changing amid rising affluence and aspirations. While Rs 500 crore homes make headlines, for most high-networth individuals (HNIs) and HNI-adjacent Indians, it can also mean a spacious home with good amenities that can cost anywhere between Rs 5-10 crore. Welcome to the world of the mid-luxury market, which is growing at a breakneck speed.

In 2024, the sales of such homes went up by a whopping 112%, according to real estate services company Anarock. In the first half of 2025, Mumbai sold a large chunk of these homes, at 1,075 units.

In a city like Mumbai, where it takes at least Rs 2.5 crore for a decent-sized home, Rs 5-10 crore homes are a prized asset across the suburbs.

“Builders are increasingly investing in the development of housing solutions in this range, as buyers increasingly see it as a balance between luxury and value. With alternatives opening up in nearby micro-markets, this range is becoming the comfort zone for many buyers,” Amit Mamgain, director at real estate company Yugen Infra, told The Core.

Mix-luxury homes are not a Mumbai-specific trend.

Why?

Buyers aren’t just after size; they want premium additions and amenities.

More people are going for premium housing over mid-tier because they have begun to value design, curated amenities, and professional property management as return enhancers and not just status symbols.

“Buyers in this price band are seeking homes that combine investible yield with lived experience,” said Harsha Reddy Ponguleti, founder & MD of Raghava, a luxury developer in Hyderabad.

Buyers are also getting wealthier in India, with existing home owners wanting to upgrade.

With US tariffs and volatile markets bringing muted sentiments across segments, will this real estate trend continue to grow?

CORE CONVERSATIONS

For Sustainable E-Comm Growth, Gig Workers Need Protection: Here’s Why

By Govindraj Ethiraj

What?

A recent report in Business Line said that e-commerce companies were facing a massive shortage of gig workers this festive season. The report said that while there was demand, there were only half the number of gig workers required to fulfil it.

While India’s e-commerce industry, which boomed post-pandemic continues to grow, it has constantly faced a big problem — a high level of attrition among people who carry out these last-mile 10-minute deliveries.

“Unless you have proper protection for the gig workers in the e-commerce market, it will not grow sustainably because people will start leaving, there will be high attrition levels, the quality of the service will go down,” R Chandrasekhar, chairperson of the Centre for the Digital Future, said recently on The Core Report: Weekend Edition

The Business Line report pointed out that attrition levels remained between 35-40% per month.

This isn’t just for the festive season. This churn among gig workers is all year round.

Why?

The job comes with a lot of pressure but without much protection. Rushing through busy roads and lanes in Indian cities to reach the destination in 10 minutes and meet delivery goals is stressful.

A survey conducted by Borzo found that 57% of gig workers were stressed by 15-minute deliveries. “I think that balance is something that regulation needs to address, but as I said, the balance is always between providing the appropriate restrictions without constraining investment or innovation or growth,” Chandrasekhar said.

So far, there is no central law to protect gig workers, but the government is working on it. However, some states, such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, Telangana and Bihar have legislation to protect gig workers’ rights.

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CORE NUMBER

$4000

That’s the historic high gold prices crossed per ounce on Wednesday, investors piled into the safe-haven asset amid global uncertainty and expectations of US rate cuts. Spot gold rose 1.3% to $4,034, while futures touched $4,056, Reuters reported.

The Backstory: The metal’s up 54% this year, fueled by central bank buying, $64 billion in ETF inflows, and a weakening dollar. Crises from the Middle East to Ukraine — plus political jitters in France and Japan — have only added to the rush.

What Next? Analysts expect the momentum to hold through 2026, with forecasts now eyeing $4,500 an ounce as lower rates and safe-haven demand persist.

Expert Speak: “We had expected gold to reach the $4,000 level closer to year-end, but the direction of travel remains consistent,” Nitesh Shah, commodities strategist at WisdomTree, told Reuters.

FROM THE PERIPHERY

Free Trade, Tight Borders.

UK prime minister Keir Starmer began a two-day visit to India on Wednesday, saying he wants the UK and India to implement their long-awaited trade deal as soon as “humanly possible.” The agreement, which has been under negotiation for three years, aims to boost bilateral trade by at least 25.5 billion pounds by 2040. On Wednesday, he attended a football match and met with Yash Raj Film Productions (YRF), and announced that they will be filming three projects in the UK.

Setup: Under the deal, India gains wider access to the UK market for textiles, gems, and food products, while cutting duties on British exports such as whisky, cars, and medical equipment. It will also open select sectors to UK investment and procurement.

The Scoop: However, India’s push for broader visa liberalisation didn’t make the final cut. London held firm on keeping immigration policy separate from trade.

Incoming, Discounted Russian Oil!

India may raise its crude oil imports from Russia next month, as Moscow offers a discount of about $2–2.50 per barrel on Urals crude, Bloomberg reported. Ship-tracking data from Kpler, an intelligence tool to track trade, shows a steady increase in Russian crude arrivals in recent weeks.

The Shift: The renewed buying comes even as New Delhi and Washington make cautious progress on a bilateral trade deal. The US had earlier imposed a 50 % duty on select Indian exports, citing the country’s close energy ties with Russia.

Future: Washington also remains critical of India’s protectionist farm policies, particularly in dairy. Foreign minister S. Jaishankar said any deal must respect India’s “red lines.”

IndiGo Faces DGCA Penalty

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined IndiGo Rs 20 lakh for allegedly using unqualified simulators during pilot training. In a stock exchange filing, IndiGo said it received the order on September 26, 2025, and is appealing the decision before the appropriate authority.

Flashpoint: The airline maintained that the penalty does not materially affect its financials or operations. IndiGo also acknowledged a delay in disclosing the DGCA order, attributing it to an internal communication lapse rather than any intent to withhold information.

Impact: The regulator’s action highlights its growing scrutiny of pilot training standards and simulator compliance across airlines, particularly those operating in challenging terrain and low-visibility conditions at Category C airports, known to be high-difficulty airfields that require specially trained pilots due to challenging terrain, weather, or approach conditions.

PODCASTS

Why Investors Are Worrying Over Rising Gold Prices

On Episode 698 of The Core Report, financial journalist Govindraj Ethiraj talks to Anindya Banerjee, Head, Research, Currency and Commodity, Kotak Securities as well as Sidharath Kapur, Founder and Board Member at Refex Airports and Transportation P Ltd.