Real Estate Investment is now booming considering the future stream of income it may generate. Real estate is basically defined as immovable property such as land and everything permanently attached to it like buildings. Real estate investment can be attractive even if viewed as a business opportunity; it can generate rental income, can be used as collateral to secure a loan for a business venture, to offset otherwise taxable income through cash savings on tax-deductible interest rate losses, or simply from the profits garnered from its resale. Notable, in this context is the gains reaped by many speculators who trade in real estate futures (by buying and selling purchase options).
Real estate investment is also associated with appreciation in the value of property thereby having the potential for capital gains. Real estate investment is long term in nature and investment professionals routinely maintain that ones investment portfolio should have at least 5%-20% invested in real estate.
Tamil Nadu ranks third in the country in total foreign direct investment (FDI) with Rs. 22,582.64 crores, next only to Maharashtra (Rs. 36,602.41 crores) and Delhi (Rs. 30,303.79 crores). The State's investment constitutes 9.12 per cent of the total FDI in the country.
There is a quantum jump in FDI proposals in the last four years. The total proposals, which were 1,724 in 2000 and worth Rs. 18,940.898 crores, increased to 2,656 (Rs. 22,582.64 crores) by August 2004, according to Statewise details published by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) and the Secretariat for Industrial Assistance in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Tamil Nadu has become a "favoured destination for foreign investors due to availability of world-class facilities" including quality infrastructure, uninterrupted power supply and skilled labour.
| Fiscal Year | No. of Companies | Exports (Rs. Millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 10 | 20 |
| 1994-95 | 23 | 120 |
| 1995-96 | 34 | 370 |
| 1996-97 | 69 | 1610 |
| 1997-98 | 108 | 3930 |
| 1998-99 | 166 | 12460 |
| 1999-00 | 596 | 19140 |
| 2000-01 | 766 | 31160 |
| 2001-02 | 866 | 52230 |
| 2002-03 | 936 | 63160 |
| 2003-04 | 866 | 76210 |
| 2004-05 | 1266 | 107030 |
| 2005-06 | 1427 | 141150 |
Hardware exports from Tamil Nadu during 2001-2002 have been Rs.482 crores.
Studies by Harvard University, USA (Papers # 728, 729 and “Readiness for the Networked World: A quiet Information Revolution in Tamil Nadu) at www.cid.harvard.edu/india/papers.htm have predicted that Tamil Nadu is well poised to emerge as the top IT State in India as well as a gateway to SE Asia.