LUNAR LESSONS FOR REALTY

ISRO made a valiant attempt to make history on September 07 seeking India’s entry to 4-nation club of landing lunar craft on moon. The mission in its partial success has some lessons for the real estate too. The near success of Vikram’s landing on lunar surface is worth celebration for many reasons. The salaries of the scientists is much lower that western countries. Likewise, with the local manufacturers providing finished material to ISRO, the satellites are built at less than half the price compared to the foreign counterparts. During the Chandrayaan-2 mission, ISRO utilized its limited resources very efficiently by keeping the spacecraft lightweight and using lesser fuel by continuously orbiting the spacecraft to gain enough velocity and altitude to tread its way to the moon. This indigenously made and operated lunar mission came agonizingly close, but the Vikram lander lost contact in the final few hundred meters and crash-landed on the lunar surface. THE 5 COST COMPARISONS

• India’s first lunar polar mission cost India $142 million
• Mukesh Ambani's Antilia, Mumbai cost $2 billion.
• The Shivaji Statue, Mumbai $527 million
• The Statue of Unity, Gujarat cost $417 million
• Hollywood movie “Avengers Endgame” cost $356 million
• Rockstar Games' flagship title, Grand Theft Auto V cost $265 million

CHANDRAYAAN II INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEY The Chandrayaan mission is a testimony that resourceful planning and cost efficiency can help us reach the stars – literally! Despite having adequate land, labor and resources, lack of financial capital has been cited as the major glitch in “Housing for All-2022” moving forward. But India is no stranger to squeezing every penny’s worth. In PM Modi’s own words, the 2014 mission to Mars, Project Mangalyaan cost per km was cheaper than an auto rickshaw ride! Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the credit linked subsidy scheme has been a major success in enabling housing affordability for economically weaker sections. Its time, private developers are incentivized in all ways to partner with the government in building mass housing. Our architects and engineers are competent enough to bring cost saving efficiency in project design and construction. It’s time we think beyond the sky and reach out to unchartered territories.