Infrastructure is a key driver of any country’s overall development. As far as the scenario in India goes, the sector enjoys intense focus from the Public Sector and the Private Sector alike, for initiating policies and projects that would ensure time-bound creation of world class infrastructure in the country.
Few pointers on the future prospects of sector
Investment in infrastructure as a percentage of GDP increased from 4.9 per cent in 2002-03 to about 7.2 per cent in 2011 - 12 and is expected to reach 10 per cent by 2016-17.
Indian government plans to build 100 smart cities in next 5 years.
The government has unveiled plans to invest US$ 137 billion in its decrepit rail network over the next five years.
Indian Government has set the mission to provide Housing for all by 2022.
The same story goes for the Real Estate Sector of the country. The Indian real estate market size is currently estimated at US$ 120 billion and expected to touch US$ 180 billion by 2020. The housing sector alone contributes 5-6 per cent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP).
Further, Real estate has emerged as the second most active sector, raising US$ 1.2 billion from private equity (PE) investors in the last 10 months. Foreign investors have bought tenanted office space worth over US$ 2 billion in India in 2014, a four-fold rise compared to the previous year, in order to increase their rent-yielding commercial assets in Asia's third largest economy.
Keeping in view the increasing significance of the Sector to the country’s economy and development in general, and its promising future, the students at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi have setup the Infrastructure and Real Estate (INFRA) Cell.
INFRA Cell has been setup with the objective of promoting careers in the Infrastructure and Real Estate Sectors and to prepare students for the careers in the sectors. To achieve the objectives, the cell aims to organize Guest lectures with the who’s who of industry, Interactive Sessions with Alumni working in the industry; besides organizing Competitions and Live Projects for the students.
The members of the Cell come from both the concerned sectors and other sectors. Overwhelmingly, about one-fourth of the current pool of student at IIFT have expressed their interest to be the part of the cell, with a significant number of students having a prior work or educational experience related to the Infrastructure and Real Estate Sectors.
With the setting up of the Cell, IIFT Delhi joins the league with institutions like IIM Bangalore, ISB Hyderabad, IIM Ahmedabad; which have taken initiatives specific to the Infrastructure and Real Estate Sectors.