Indian REITs Association Launches Data Benchmarking Institutions

Hyderabad: Indian REITs Association on Thursday announced the launch of the Data Benchmarking Institutions (DBIs), to empower Indian Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) investors, in the presence of SEBI.

As a central repository of standardised and comparable data, DBIs will enhance transparency and ease of access to information in India’s emerging and promising REIT sector.

As part of this initiative, under SEBI’s guidance, three leading financial services companies—CareEdge, CAMS, and KFintech—have launched dedicated platforms to house all key information regarding REITs, assisting investors with their investment decisions. These platforms will provide comprehensive information and comparative analysis to help investors assess the performance of various Indian REITs.

Ashwani Bhatia, WTM, SEBI said, “This is the first of its kind initiative in respect of a class of capital market instruments, namely REITs and a significant step forward in empowering investors with critical information needed to make informed decisions when investing in REITs. By providing comprehensive and transparent insights, the platforms align perfectly with SEBI's endeavour to enhance market transparency. We believe that such initiatives will foster greater confidence among investors and contribute to the overall growth and stability of the securities market in India.”

The Association said in a statement, "The DBIs is yet another reform aimed at improving transparency in capital market and strengthening investor protection. This initiative will significantly enhance awareness and confidence in the asset class by providing comprehensive data on all REITs in one place. By making key operational and financial information about all REITs accessible, the DBIs offers a holistic view of REIT investments. This insightful data platform is set to support the growth of the Indian REIT sector."

Anuj Kumar, MD of CAMS, said, "We are very excited to launch our REIT data benchmarking portal 'compareitnow.in,' which is designed to demystify REITs for investors exploring this asset class. The portal illustrates the benefits of REITs and provides comparative metrics across various dimensions, helping investors make informed decisions. We have built simulation models and calculators which investors can use to identify suitable REITs for investment, based on their preferred evaluation criteria."

Mehul Pandya, MD and Group CEO of CareEdge, commented, “Our ReitsInfraEdge platform will empower retail and institutional investors to benchmark the performance of REITs for more informed investment decisions. Our unique and flexible CareEdge standard valuation model will enable investors to understand the drivers of valuation for the underlying properties. Further, investors can modify assumptions to arrive at their own assessment of value, based on their judgment.”

Sreekanth Nadella, MD & CEO of KFintech, said, “KFinsights is designed to educate, empower, and engage investors in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), an asset class set to benefit from India’s infrastructure growth. KFintech’s omni-channel platform serves as a centralised repository for all REITs in India, enabling users to compare financial performance, operational metrics, market positioning, debt profiles, and benchmarks. By leveraging real-time industry integration and machine learning-driven business analytics, KFinsights provides investors with actionable and outcome-oriented information. This comprehensive platform integrates data-driven analysis with educational content, helping investors make well-informed decisions that align with their financial goals and risk tolerance.”