Xrbia eyes London affordables

Indian residential property developer Xrbia is looking to launch in the UK. Xrbia has built more than 15,000 homes in India and has a further 100,000 in the pipeline. It says it intends to bring its efficiencies of scale and expertise in affordable housebuilding to the UK and to London initially, where it is seeking joint venture partners with social housing experience. Xrbia’s standard product in India is a seven-storey block with apartments sized at 430 sq ft. It plans to deliver London homes priced at around £80,000 by deploying various finance packages, including a rent-to-own facility. The company, founded by 41-year-old entrepreneur Rahul Nahar in 2012, says its hybrid of steel framing and concrete form work produces homes at low cost in a short timeframes. Nahar said: “We are looking to work with forward-thinking social housing developers who have moved on from the legacy approaches that are holding back a number of more established players. To build the number of homes the UK needs is not just about bricks and mortar but about fundamental changes in philosophy and process.” • To send feedback, e-mail alex.peace@estatesgazette.com or tweet @egalexpeace or @estatesgazette