The Economic Times Wealth – August 17, 2026
Summary
"Stolen homes, broken promises" — The Economic Times Wealth 17-23 August 2026 (Volume 16 No. 33) investigates India's housing society redevelopment crisis, where builders abandon projects for years, residents pay rent and EMIs simultaneously, and the average project takes 8-10 years from approval to completion. The cover story (p2) names specific Mumbai societies trapped in stalled redevelopment.
The cover story (p2) documents multiple housing societies whose redevelopment plans collapsed when developers ran out of funds or abandoned the project mid-construction. A sidebar tracks the legal cases that have been in court for over 5 years. Additional features cover the tax traps of side hustles and F&O trading (p10) and NRIs moving back to India while Uncle Sam still wants a share (p12).
Regular sections cover property, tax, and NRI finance. The issue targets Mumbai flat owners in old buildings facing redevelopment decisions.
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Content Guide
▸ Cover Story / Property / Tax / NRI
p2 · Stolen homes, broken promises
Investigation into stalled society redevelopment projects across Mumbai, naming specific societies and the developers who abandoned them. The article traces the typical timeline: 2 years for approvals, 4-5 years for construction, 2-3 years for disputes. Anyone considering a redevelopment vote should read the 10-point developer vetting checklist before signing the consent letter.
p2 — Society redevelopment takes 8-10 years
Data from Knight Frank India on actual redevelopment timelines across Mumbai, Thane and Pune. The breakdown shows where the delays occur: approvals (2 years), financing (1 year), construction (4 years), possession (1 year). Flat owners in pre-2000 buildings should start the redevelopment planning process at the 25-year mark, per the recommended timeline.
p2 — Checklist for a successful redevelopment
Actionable steps for housing societies: hiring an independent project manager, verifying the developer's completion track record, setting penalty clauses for delays, and establishing a rent-top-up escrow account. The checklist is printed as a tear-out box for societies to pin on their notice board.
p10 · Side hustle, F&O trading tax traps
A tax guide for Indians earning income from freelancing, content creation, delivery platforms and derivatives trading. The article explains the difference between business income and capital gains, with the specific ITR schedules required for each. Anyone earning more than INR 50,000 annually from a side hustle should register for GST using the threshold and process detailed here.
p12 · NRIs moving back? Uncle Sam isn't done with you
A guide for Indian-Americans and Indian-UK dual citizens returning to India permanently, covering exit tax, deemed-sale provisions and continuing US/UK filing obligations. The article names the net-worth thresholds that trigger US exit tax. NRIs planning repatriation should file the final dual-status return before the April deadline — the form numbers are listed here.
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Editor's Take
The redevelopment investigation is important journalism — it names specific failed projects and gives residents a practical checklist, which is exactly what ET Wealth's property-owning readership needs. The side-hustle tax guide is useful for gig-economy earners. The weakness is the NRI tax piece, which is too brief to cover the complexity of US-India dual taxation — it needs double the space. This issue is for Mumbai flat owners facing redevelopment decisions and freelancers unsure about their tax obligations.
Strengths
• Redevelopment investigation with specific society names and court timelines
• 10-point developer vetting checklist for society votes
• Side-hustle tax guide with GST registration threshold data
Weaknesses
• NRI tax piece oversimplifies complex US-India rules
• No coverage of rental-income protection during redevelopment delays
Verdict: Recommended — the redevelopment piece is essential reading for any Mumbai society member; the side-hustle tax guide is a bonus.
