Over 100 malls to spring up in India by end-2010: Report

Keen on matching supply with demand, real estate developers may spring up more than a hundred malls spread over 30-million sq ft in the country by end-2010, a report says. 

"Between now and 2010, an additional 31,846,504-square feet of mall space will be created across India through just over 100 new shopping centres," findings from a report titled 'Mall Realities India 2010', said. 

However, 54 per cent of expected mall supply in 2008 was deferred to 2009-10, the report compiled by real estate consultancy firms, Cushman & Wakefield and Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, said. 

"As far as retail real estate in the top eight was concerned, as much as 11-million sq ft of expected mall supply in 2008 was deferred to 2009-10, which was a reduction of 54 per cent from the projections made at the beginning of 2008," it said. 

Of the over 30-million sq ft of malls to be added by end-2010, India's north zone is leading with a total of 14,790,000 sq ft. 

"That translates into 45 malls expected in the North Zone with 24 in the Delhi NCR (National Capital Region) itself," it said. 

West Zone is the second-most prolific region in terms of additional projected mall supply of 7,438,504 sq ft through 47 malls, it said. 

South and East Zones total up a projected mall space at 5,865,000 sq ft (through 29 malls) and 3,753,000 sq ft (by way of 13 malls), respectively, it said. 

"Interestingly, while most projects in North, West and South Zones are in and around Tier II cities, in the East, the majority of developments are to open in or around West Bengal's capital Kolkata," the findings said. 

The list of properties scheduled to open in this period are located across metros, mini-metros and Tier II towns, including in Delhi, NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Raipur, Bangalore and Siliguri, among others.