'No More Delays, No Misleading Ads' – Housing Min Khattar's Good News For Homebuyers

India’s cities and towns are transforming rapidly, but for many homebuyers, delays, stalled projects, and misleading promises have caused years of frustration. Now, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has pledged to tackle these issues head-on.

Speaking at the Building Bharat: Real Estate, Real Impact event hosted by Republic Media Network, Khattar shared a detailed roadmap to improve transparency, protect consumers, and speed up housing delivery.

“This is not just about buildings; this is about building Bharat,” he said, outlining how new projects are transforming both large metros and smaller towns.

A Growing Urban Population

Khattar pointed out that India’s urban population, currently around 35%, is projected to cross 50% by 2047. This shift means more people will need homes, infrastructure, and public services.

“When the population comes to cities, they need all kinds of facilities—housing for the rich, the middle class, and the poor,” he said.

Ambitious Housing Targets

Housing remains a priority for the government. The minister highlighted that in the past five years, 1.4 crore urban houses have been built or are under construction under schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Looking ahead, the government plans to build another 1 crore houses in the next five years and 8 crore new houses over the next decade.

“This cannot be done only by the government,” he said. “Private sector workers must also come forward.”

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Addressing Delays and Stalled Projects

The minister acknowledged that delays have hurt many homebuyers and developers. “If there was a two-year target, some people have not received their homes in five or even ten years,” he said.

“Some projects have become unviable; some have ended up in court cases—RERA, NCLT, everywhere.” The central government has allocated a separate budget to help revive stalled and distressed projects through measures like one-time settlement schemes.

“This is a big problem, and we have to solve it,” he said.

Transparency and Accountability

Khattar also highlighted the issue of cash transactions in real estate. “The government wants to avoid cash dealings. Everything should be transparent,” he said.

He explained that hidden cash transactions have fuelled corruption that ultimately affects ordinary citizens the most. “If this corruption has to be stopped, it has to be by abolishing cash dealings,” he said.

Another area of concern is misleading advertisements by some developers. “Because of such misleading advertisements, the consumer gets trapped,” he noted, calling for stricter checks to ensure claims made in promotions are accurate.

Investment and Ease of Doing Business

According to Khattar, funding this scale of development will require significant investment. He noted that in the 2025–26 budget, more than ₹11 lakh crores are planned for infrastructure. “Our investors have come in large numbers. But they will come only when they get the ease of doing business,” he stressed.

He said investors look for clear policies, timely permissions, single-window clearances, and reliable access to land and electricity. “All these things count,” he added. “We are evaluating them in every state.”

Better Urban Design and Heritage

Khattar said cities must be planned not only for practicality but also for identity and heritage. He cited examples from Chandigarh, Delhi’s Lutyens zone, and Gujarat’s GIFT City. “The architecture of our cities and buildings, the place of art, the sense of Indian-ness—builders should keep these things in mind.”

He mentioned the Central Vista project as an example of ambitious, modern government infrastructure. “In some countries, there is no building like Central Vista,” he said.

Metro Expansion and Last-Mile Connectivity

India has built the third-largest metro network in the world, with over 1,000 km of lines operating and another 1,500 km under construction. “We will move ahead of the USA,” Khattar said.

To improve urban mobility, the government is focusing on last-mile connectivity, ensuring people can easily get to and from metro stations. “With a click of a button, a vehicle should reach your home, take you to the metro, and after getting off, take you to your office,” he explained.

High-density development near metro stations is also being encouraged through new policies.

Collaboration Across Sectors

Khattar stressed that building modern cities is not the job of any single stakeholder, “This is not the work of one person, one state, one city, or one organisation. It is the work of everyone.”

He said the government remains open to learning from international best practices, noting partnerships such as the MOU with Spain for sustainable urban development.

Commitment to Consumers

While the government has implemented reforms like the RERA Act to protect buyers, Khattar acknowledged that more needs to be done, “RERA has benefited consumers a lot. Still, there are some difficulties. In the coming time, we will remove them.”

India’s urban transformation is a long-term effort that spans affordable housing, infrastructure investment, transparency, and innovation. As cities expand, the minister said, the aim is to create places that are sustainable, inclusive, and modern.