As house prices in the West Midlands fall at double the UK average during the credit crunch, local property investors are looking to new markets for opportunities.

One of these markets is India, which is being tipped by many as an emerging property hot spot. Merrill Lynch has predicted a 700 % increase in the Indian property market by 2015.

A seminar at the Hotel Ibis in Birmingham city centre on Wednesday will provide a glimpse into the opportunities which could become available. The seminar, which begins at 7pm, is being hosted by Navyroof.com – a company that highlights investment opportunities in the most up-and-coming areas of India to the UK.

It will offer potential investors advice on how they could benefit from investing in India’s thriving housing sector.
Information will be provided on the Indian economy and the sustainable factors driving its rapid growth. Also highlighted will be the areas likely to give the greatest capital appreciation on investment.

India’s strong economic growth reflects the profound changes occurring in society. Over half of India’s current population is under 25, giving it the world’s largest population of workers and consumers by 2020.

Increased urbanization and modern young Indians preferring to live on their own means demand for housing has never been higher. Mortgage lending increased tenfold between 2000 and 2005 yet the ratio of mortgages to GDP remains low, a significant factor in the massive potential which could be available.

Navyroof.com managing director Andrew Fassnidge said: “The seminar will show both UK investors and Birmingham’s 55,000 non-resident Indians how easy, effective and profitable investing in India can be.

“All the economic indicators project a bright, sustainable future for India. In the last 2yrs alone, property prices in India increased by 70 %.”

Market analysts have said that investors looking to escape the slowdown of the US and Europe then the sub-continent could be their best option.

Around 300 million middle class people are expected to be living in India by 2010 – higher than the US – while economic growth is expected to grow by eight per cent until 2020.