Verifying an Indian Project from Bahrain: The RERA Checklist That Takes 20 Minutes
Every Indian state runs a free public RERA portal listing registered projects, promoter track records and filed complaints. Most NRI buyers never open one.
The single biggest advantage NRI buyers have gained in the last decade has nothing to do with prices or interest rates. It's that since the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act came into force, every state maintains a public, free, searchable register of real estate projects — with the promoter's other projects, declared completion dates, and complaints filed against them.
You can check all of it from a laptop in Manama, before you speak to anyone. Twenty minutes of this is worth more than a month of brochures.
Start Here: Find the Registration Number
Any project being marketed to you should have a RERA registration number, and by law it should appear on the advertising itself. If a brochure, a hoarding photo or a WhatsApp forward doesn't show one, that is your first data point.
There is no single all-India RERA website — the Act is administered state by state, and each state runs its own register. You need the portal for the state the property sits in.
- Maharashtra (Mumbai, Pune) — MahaRERA, generally the most detailed public record
- Karnataka (Bangalore) — K-RERA
- Telangana (Hyderabad) — TG-RERA
- Haryana (Gurgaon) — HRERA, with separate Gurugram and Panchkula benches
What to Actually Read Once You're In
Finding the listing is the easy part. Most buyers see "registered" and stop. The value is in the detail behind it.
| Check | What good looks like | What should worry you |
|---|---|---|
| Registration status | Active, covering the tower or phase you're buying | Expired, or covers a different phase of the same development |
| Declared completion date | Realistic, and consistent with what sales staff told you | A date already passed, or months earlier than the brochure claims |
| Promoter's other projects | A record of delivered projects with dates met | Multiple projects with repeatedly extended timelines |
| Complaints filed | Few, resolved, minor in nature | A pattern of similar complaints across several projects |
| Approved plan vs marketing | Unit mix and amenities match what you were shown | Amenities in the brochure that appear nowhere in the filing |
| Land title documents | Uploaded and clean | Missing, or showing an unresolved encumbrance |
The promoter's complaint history across all their projects tells you more than any single project's brochure. Patterns repeat; marketing doesn't.
The Phase Trick
One pattern worth knowing specifically. A large development is often registered in phases. A promoter can legitimately advertise a well-established, registered Phase 1 while selling units in a Phase 3 that is registered separately — or not yet registered at all.
Always confirm that the registration number you were given covers the specific tower, phase and unit you are buying. Ask for it in writing. This is a routine question for a legitimate developer and an awkward one otherwise.
What RERA Does Not Do
Being registered is a floor, not a guarantee. RERA registration confirms the project is declared and disclosed. It does not certify construction quality, guarantee delivery on time, or validate that the price is reasonable. Nor does it remove the need for an independent title search by a lawyer.
- It does give you disclosure, a complaints mechanism, and a promoter track record you can read.
- It does not replace legal due diligence, a title search, or an independent valuation.
Why This Matters More From Abroad
A buyer in Pune can visit the site on a Saturday and ask neighbours what they've heard. From Bahrain you have documents and phone calls. That asymmetry is exactly why the public record is worth using properly — it is the one source that isn't being presented to you by someone earning a commission on the sale.
Once a project checks out, the purchase mechanics — payment trail, banking channels, documentation — are covered in our Bahrain NRI buying guide.
Read: Buying Property in India from Bahrain: The Complete NRI GuideAnd if you plan to complete without travelling, read the Power of Attorney guide before signing anything.
Read: Power of Attorney from Bahrain: Buying Indian Property Without Flying BackRERA rules, portals and disclosure requirements differ by state and change over time. Use the register as a starting point, then have an Indian property lawyer run an independent title check before you commit funds.
Every developer exhibiting at the expo is asked for project documentation. RSVP and we'll shortlist by the cities you're actually considering.
Frequently Asked Questions
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