{"id":733206,"date":"2026-01-31T14:39:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T14:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/733206\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T14:39:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T14:39:13","slug":"key-expectations-from-uae-nris-on-housing-trade-and-taxes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/733206\/","title":{"rendered":"Key Expectations from UAE NRIs on Housing, Trade, and Taxes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>1. Make homes cheaper, easier to buy<\/p>\n<p>Real estate sits at the top of the NRI wishlist. It matters because property remains the most common NRI investment in India, and the housing sector  is directly linked to jobs, urban growth, and infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>What experts are asking for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Extension, expansion of the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Fresh incentives for first-time buyers<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Easier access to funding<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Policy continuity to protect long-term investments<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder and Chairman of Signature Global, said, \u201cas we approach the Union Budget 2026, the real estate sector remains optimistic, with expectations focused on sustained policy support to improve housing affordability, ease liquidity constraints, and maintain long-term growth momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Aggarwal also pointed to long-term potential, saying \u201caccording to industry reports, real estate has the potential to contribute up to 15 per cent to India\u2019s GDP by 2047.&#8221; He said \u201cthe extension and reintroduction of the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) could provide meaningful relief to aspiring homebuyers, especially first-time buyers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ashok Kapur, Chairman of Krishna Group and Krisumi Corporation, described the real estate sector as \u201ca significant contributor to GDP and India\u2019s second-largest employer after agriculture,\u201d and added that \u201can extension and expansion of the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) would provide significant relief to homebuyers,\u201d while stressing the importance of infrastructure development, policy stability, and regulatory clarity.<\/p>\n<p>2. Stability over tax surprises<\/p>\n<p>Markets are not positioned for sweeping tax cuts. Vijay Valecha, CIO at Century Financial said \u201cthere is little expectation of a tax cut announcement for income tax or GST, as tax relief was previously granted in 2025,\u201d adding that \u201cmarkets remain cautious on consumption-led bets.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Aliasgar Tambawala, Co-CIO at Klay Group, said \u201cthe FY27 Union Budget is likely to mark a shift in India\u2019s fiscal framework from fiscal deficit targeting to public debt targeting,\u201d strengthening transparency and credibility. He said \u201cwe expect modest fiscal consolidation, with a clear glide path towards a lower debt-to-GDP ratio.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>3. Fix NRI customs rules, especially gold<\/p>\n<p>This is where UAE-based NRIs are pushing for practical reform. Dr. Sahitya K. Chaturvedi, Secretary General of the Indian Business &amp; Professional Council Dubai, said \u201cfor NRIs, especially from the UAE, Budget 2026\u201327 is a chance to align customs and trade policies with global realities.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>He said value-based duty-free gold limits are \u201cincreasingly impractical amid volatile prices, causing uncertainty and disputes at ports.\u201d He called for \u201ca shift to a quantity-based allowance\u201430 grams for NRI passengers and 10 grams for Indian tourists,\u201d saying it would provide \u201cclarity, transparency, and fairness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>4. Turn trade deals into real business<\/p>\n<p>On trade, Dr. Chaturvedi said \u201cthe upcoming Union Budget 2026\u201327 must focus on converting India\u2019s trade potential into tangible outcomes.\u201d While India has signed multiple agreements, he said \u201con-ground execution has lagged behind peers like the UAE.\u201d He called for \u201ca robust EXIM framework, export incentives, and support for global manufacturing and technology hubs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added that \u201ccapital expenditure in infrastructure, logistics, and urban development should crowd in private investment and strengthen competitiveness.\u201d He said \u201cfiscal consolidation and predictable taxation will reinforce investor confidence,\u201d while stressing that \u201ccustoms and baggage allowances for NRIs, including duty-free gold, need rationalisation to reflect market realities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>5. Invest in technology, skilled talent<\/p>\n<p>On technology and human capital, Dr. Chaturvedi said \u201cUnion Budget 2026\u201327 is an opportunity to combine economic growth with human capital development.\u201d He said \u201cIndia\u2019s Global Capability Centres and emerging tech sectors demand skilled professionals and responsible governance.\u201d He added that \u201ccapital expenditure must support infrastructure, renewables, and urban housing, while policy reforms in labour, logistics, and digital governance enhance productivity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said \u201cresponsible AI and data governance are critical to maintaining trust,\u201d adding that \u201cpredictable taxation, streamlined compliance, and targeted incentives for innovation will attract private investment.\u201d He said policies for NRIs, including \u201crationalised customs exemptions and duty-free allowances,\u201d should \u201cencourage reverse migration and diaspora engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NRI wishlist in simple terms<\/p>\n<p>From the perspective of UAE-based NRIs, India Budget 2026 expectations cluster around five core asks:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p>More housing incentives and homebuyer relief<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Financial stability over any tax-related surprise<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Rationalised customs rules, including duty-free gold<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Faster trade agreement execution<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Deeper investment in technology and skills<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Each one connects directly to how confidently you can invest, return, or expand business links with India.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gulfnews.com\/author\/justin-varghese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gulfnews\/2025-05-15\/vtxiex60\/Justin_Varghese05__1_.jpg\"  alt=\"Justin Varghese\" class=\"qt-image\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Justin is a personal finance author and seasoned business journalist with over a decade of experience. He makes it his mission to break down complex financial topics and make them clear, relatable, and relevant\u2014helping everyday readers navigate today\u2019s economy with confidence. <\/p>\n<p>Before returning to his Middle Eastern roots, where he was born and raised, Justin worked as a Business Correspondent at Reuters, reporting on equities and economic trends across both the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"1. Make homes cheaper, easier to buy Real estate sits at the top of the NRI wishlist. It&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":733207,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3090],"tags":[51,1700,4627,217635,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-733206","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-economy","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-economy","10":"tag-indian-economy","11":"tag-uae-tax","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115990231152701872","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/733206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=733206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/733206\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/733207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=733206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=733206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=733206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}