Strata plans to raise Rs 20 billion in FY25 under SM REITs

A platform for investing in commercial real estate (CRE), Strata has submitted an application for a license to operate as a small and medium REIT (SM REIT) in accordance with the most recent guidelines released by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). In addition, the business plans to start moving its qualifying assets to SM REITs in order to reach its goal of having Rs 20 billion in total assets under management (AUM) by the end of FY25. The inclusion of SM REITs in the fractional ownership model (FOP) for all assets valued at much above Rs. 0.50 billion was announced by SEBI in 2023. In early 2024, the regulator also published a comprehensive framework. This rule has increased the amount of assets that can be invested under fractional ownership, including very large assets that were previously unfeasible because of legal constraints. Sudarshan Lodha, the co-founder and CEO of the company, stated that their focus this year is to integrate eligible assets into SM REITs. The company claims to have over Rs 18 billion in transactions and an AUM (Assets Under Management) of over 4 million sq ft across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hosur, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur, and Mehsana. The company, Strata, is backed by institutional investors like Kotak Investment Advisors, Gruhas Proptech, Sabre Investments Elevation Capital, Mayfield, and PropStac.