There’s no place like home, but even for the affluent buying one in India is difficult. On top of that, the coronavirus pandemic—now in its eighteenth month—has made life uncertain. A hopeful thing is buying a house looks alluring as loan interest rates fall below 7 per cent, their multi-decadal lows.

       The slow decline in GDP growth after demonetisation, followed by the economic shock caused by Covid-19 waves, has hurt us unevenly. Some of us have seen salary cuts or job losses. But hardly anyone—except for the likes of billionaire Radhakishan Damani who bought a ...