India, Aug. 21 -- For Indian investors, the search for income has traditionally led to familiar destinations: bank deposits, bonds, small-savings schemes or rental property. Each comes with its own trade-offs. Real estate can generate rent, but buying and managing property requires significant capital. Fixed-income products can offer greater predictability, but may not provide exposure to the growth of real assets.

REITs sit somewhere in between.

A Real Estate Investment Trust allows investors to buy units in a professionally managed portfolio of income-generating properties. Instead of dealing with tenants, maintenance or property transactions directly, investors participate in the economics of commercial real estate through a listed s...