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The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has advised all State Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERAs) to grant a four-month extension in the registration and corresponding completion timelines of eligible real estate projects affected by disruptions arising from the ongoing situation in West Asia.
In an advisory issued on Friday, the Ministry said the prevailing situation in West Asia has adversely affected global supply chains, resulting in shortages of construction materials and impacting the timely execution of real estate projects. The Ministry noted that the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, through an Office Memorandum dated April 29, 2026, has treated the ongoing West Asia situation as "war" for the purpose of invoking the Force Majeure clause. Referring to the provisions of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA), the Ministry said Section 6 allows extension of registration of a real estate project on account of Force Majeure, which includes "war" affecting regular development of a project. Accordingly, MoHUA advised State RERAs to grant a four-month extension in the registration and completion timelines of registered real estate projects whose completion date, revised completion date or extended completion date falls on or after February 28, 2026. To reduce procedural delays, the Ministry also recommended that State RERAs issue a common order granting such extensions instead of requiring separate applications from individual projects. Welcoming the advisory, National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) President Parveen Jain said, "NAREDCO sincerely welcomes the timely and pragmatic advisory issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The ongoing geopolitical situation in West Asia has significantly impacted the availability and cost of construction materials, resulting in unavoidable delays in project execution." He further urged State regulators to implement the advisory uniformly, saying, "Timely extension of project registration and completion timelines will provide much-needed relief to developers facing circumstances beyond their control due to the ongoing war-related disruptions. At the same time, it will protect the interests of homebuyers by enabling projects to be completed in an orderly manner, avoiding unnecessary litigation and ensuring greater certainty for all stakeholders." NAREDCO said the advisory reflects a balanced approach by addressing the challenges faced by developers while safeguarding the interests of homebuyers, and called on all State RERAs to implement the Ministry's recommendations at the earliest. (ANI)
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