Has real estate become more affordable? The realty sector is one of the most recognized sectors across the world, there is something that comes with buying your own house or office that gives you a sense of independence and freedom. Buying your own house is often the first stop on almost every individual’s bucket list. Especially considering how rent prices are soaring for relatively average properties. The realty sector comprises four sub sectors: housing, retail, hospitality, and commercial. The growth of this sector is well complemented in developing countries by the increasing growth in the corporate environment and the demand for office space. If there is an increase in office space, as a result there is also an increase in the demand for urban and semi-urban accommodations. The looming threat: The global real estate market is valued at a whopping $326 trillion, it has been of the most consistent sectors, one that you could say will 99.99% of the time deliver guaranteed returns. However, the last two years have shaken the real estate sector and tested it to a large extent as the threats of another recession loomed due to an increase in vacancies in rental complexes, commercial hubs that were once hustling and bustling with full of life now practically seeming like abandoned villages and default in payments by occupants. This is not all, the global direct investment in commercial real estate fell by 29% in the first 6 months of 2020 alone. This drop was a result of lockdowns in all developing and developed nations and travel restrictions. Investment in real estate in the United States alone witnessed a 37% decline, the Asia Pacific region witnessed a 32% decline in investment. This in addition to the massive surge in unemployment globally has resulted in individuals rethinking their financial positions. Investing in real estate is the last thing on their minds. This is not all, since the world was forced to adapt to this new normal, the emergence of work from home culture has delivered a bigger blow to major developers who often view building business parks and commercial spaces as a safe investment. Firms globally are realizing they do not have to spend a lot of money into renting and leasing properties for employees, in fact, there have been a lot of amendments made to existing leases, with firms reducing their workspace. The residential sector witnessed a sharp dip in the sector after the first two waves of the pandemic hit. However, the sector was beginning to pick up and recover for a brief period of 5 months until the new omicron variant was discovered. On the positive side of things, once the vaccination rates across major metropolitan cities began to pick up, the real estate markets began to stabilize. Though the recovery and growth rate are nowhere near to what it was before, there is a ray of hope and in due time, it appears to be heading back to securing a double-digit year-over-year growth rate. However, there are other issues as well. The investment in massive commercial projects across the world has reduced. Most of them being developing projects, since investors have pulled their money out, the projects are stuck under development, the contractors do not have funds to complete them and investors all around are hesitant to bet on the future of such projects. This in addition to the already high inventory of empty spaces has put the debt of the real estate industry at an all-time high forcing government and regulatory bodies to step in. A glimmer of hope amidst the darkness: The major benefactors of this crisis were individuals who were already gearing up to invest in the real estate sector, this paired with the eagerness of banks to provide home loans at relatively attractive rates has encouraged prospective homeowners. As a matter of fact, countries such as India witnessed the lowest real estate prices in over a decade, due to the reduction in demand. However, not for long as prices will pick up. Global real estate is set to grow at a rate of 34.5% over the next two years. Realty developers are now turning from having commercial and housing properties as their primary focus to developing more warehouses, data centers and buildings that serve as more conducive to the logistics needs of companies. Diversification from retail sector and hospitality sectors have become a top priority as due to global travel restrictions paired with the reluctance of individuals to travel, premier hotels and resorts are witnessing barely any bookings. It will take some time for the industry to reach its former glory, and there are a lot of things to figure out, investments in luxury properties and hospitality projects are likely to be put on hold for now. There is also a need for more government assistance to ensure the industry gets back on track.

  Relevance of Supply Chain Management In 2021, the MV Ever Given, a container ship was passing through the Suez Canal, a narrow yet integral passage that is essentially the bloodline of global trade. Just to put this into perception, ships that pass through the canal carry $10 billion in goods on a daily basis. The ship faced certain complications and got stuck blocking the entire canal. This lasted for nearly a week, while the ship was stuck with an entire fleet of other cargo ships queueing up behind to pass through it, the impact of this was felt globally as prices of basic yet essential commodities rose. Fuel prices in the USA also shot up as containers could not get through the canal. This entire crisis just showed how important supply chain management is. What are we talking about? Supply chain management is the management of the flow of goods and services, from raw materials to final products. Looking at the global supply chain today, water transport is of paramount importance as there are essentially no roadways or railways if you were to transport goods or raw materials from Asia to Europe. Let us understand how the supply chain works, there are essentially five elements that form it. 1.    Planning: It involves planning and managing all the resources that a firm anticipates it will need to meet the demands for its product/service. Apart from this, when the supply chain is established, the firm will also need to determine if it is efficient, sustainable in the long run, and if it delivers value to customers and meets the goals of the firm. 2.    Sourcing: It involves choosing the right suppliers, transportation agencies, and other essential services that the firm needs to convert raw materials into finished products and then onto the markets. It includes some key processes such as ordering, receiving, managing inventory, and authorizing supplier payments. 3.    Manufacturing: As the name suggests, it basically involves converting the raw materials to finished products and then testing the quality, packaging and schedule the delivery. 4.    Delivery & Logistics: Once the finished product is ready, the firm needs to ensure that they reach the intended customer base. 5.    Returns: There has to be a network to make sure that in the event of a product turning out as defective, the customer can easily be able to return the products. Why is it so important? Business is all about minimizing your costs and maximizing your profits, with a sound supply chain management system not only can you save on production costs, but you can also reduce the production time involved. Take oil for instance, it is a commodity that needs to be replaced almost instantly as fuel is essential for any economy, developing or developed to function efficiently. Imagine if OPEC decides to hold out and not export oil for just a day or two, the impact of that will be felt globally, fuel prices will shoot up through the roof. There has also been another major shortage felt across the tech world in the last 2 years, the semiconductor shortage, the chips that power your phones, desktops, and even electric cars, there is a serious shortage in them. This was due to the COVID pandemic, as factories in Taiwan and South Korea had shut down, the two major chip manufacturers, TSMC and Samsung had to shut their factories down or work at reduced capacity. As a result of this, Samsung, Xiaomi, Apple, and even carmakers such as Tesla and TATA have had to reduce production due to the shortage of chips. The latest iPhone 13 Series, even though customers want to buy it, they are unable to, why is that so? Because most of the reputed distributors of Apple across India are unable to restock effectively, as their supply has been impacted due to this. As more and more managers are understanding this, it is no surprise that supply chain management was one of the most popular courses of 2021. How can the supply chain be made more efficient? The best way to ensure that there is a sound supply chain in place is to efficiently plan it out, a plan has to be dynamic. It needs to be changed and able to adapt to the global conditions as and when they occur. The latest technologies can go a long way in aiding this. Artificial intelligence and IoT can maximize the efficiency and performance of any supply network. Despite all the technology, human brains will always reign supreme. Make an effort to understand how the supply chain works on a global stage as well as on a regional stage. If you understand it, then you are more likely to be able to get around it. It never hurts to gain some more knowledge!

Multi designer stores The concept of multi-designer stores was initiated to embrace Indian designers, our heritage, our culture! The Indian fashion industry has always been Rich, Unique and versatile, it has managed to become a popular fashion hub for various global brands. It offers variety and provides a luxurious experience to the consumers, connects the designer to the consumer and transforms itself according to the perspective of the consumer. The idea also germinates from observing the struggles of finding the perfect outfit across the city. Multi-designer stores bring the most extraordinary pieces of the best designers under one roof. Lovely hand-picked, showcase chic and avant-garde focusing on the masterpieces of several designers, as today’s generation settles for nothing lesser than the best! It also addresses a significant gap in the market between high-street and premium fashion. Over the years, working with such a great amount of passion, dedication and enthusiasm the designers have conveyed to us, an understanding of the talent that exists in every corner of our country and how much impact this amazing concept can create upon their industry.