Chaudhary Raghvendra Singh (19 September 1910 – 13 June 2000) was an Indian real estate developer known for founding DLF, then known as Delhi Land and Finance, in 1946.[1][2] He laid the foundations for one of India's largest real estate companies, instrumental in transforming the urban landscape of Delhi and Gurgaon.[1][3]
Early life
Chaudhary Raghvendra Singh was born on 19 September 1910 in Punjab Province (British India), British India (now Haryana, India), into a Hindu Jat family with agricultural and military tradition.[4]
Business career
In 1946, Singh established DLF, then known as Delhi Land and Finance, with the aim of developing urban residential colonies in the capital city of Delhi.[1] His early projects included the creation of neighbourhoods like South Extension, Greater Kailash, and Hauz Khas in the 1950s and 1960s.[1] In 1961, the Indian government transferred urban development control to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which restricted private real estate development in Delhi. This prompted Singh and his son-in-law, Kushal Pal Singh, to look for new opportunities outside the capital.[5] DLF shifted its focus to Gurgaon (now Gurugram), where his and Kushal Pal's business plans led to the region's transformation into a modern urban hub.[6][7] In 1995, Kushal Pal became the chairman of DLF.[8]
Personal life
Singh had a daughter Indira. Indira married Kushal Pal.[9] Singh died on 13 June 2000.[2]
Legacy
After Singh's death, his son-in-law, Kushal Pal, expanded DLF into the largest real estate company in India.[10][3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Delhi Rewind: How DLF built colonies in Delhi for aspirational Partition migrants, Roychowdhury, Adrija. The Indian Express(17 April 2022). Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Meet our founder. DLF. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 DLF’s K.P. Singh retires, wishes he turned Gurgaon into the city he dreamed of, PTI. Mint(4 June 2020). Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ↑ How the brokers of land and power built the Millennium City. Caravan(1 January 2014). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ K.P. Singh: Think like Edwin Lutyens. The Hindu(29 November 2024). Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ↑ Full Story - Founding of DLF. Navbharat Times(2 January 2024). Retrieved 2 July 2024.
- ↑ Gurgaon: From Ghost Town to Boomtown. The Weekend Leader. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
- ↑ DLF's K P Singh retires at 90, son Rajiv Singh to take over reins, Dutta, Arnab. Business Standard(5 June 2020). Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ↑ Who Is KP Singh, Real-estate King With Rs 94,536 Crore Net Worth, Who Left Indian Army To Build DLF And Found Love Again At 91. Zee News. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ↑ DLF: The Ailing Giant, Srivastava, Samar. Forbes India(16 November 2015). Retrieved 13 January 2025.