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. He laid the foundations for one of India's largest real estate companies, instrumental in transforming the urban landscape of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

and

Gurgaon Gurgaon (), officially named Gurugram (), is a satellite city of Delhi and administrative headquarters of Gurgaon district, located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest ...

Early life

Chaudhary Raghvendra Singh was born on 19 September 1910 in

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

, India, into an agricultural family.

Business career

In 1946, Singh Singh established DLF, then known as Delhi Land and Finance, with the aim of developing urban residential colonies in the capital city of Delhi. His early projects included the creation of neighborhoods like

South Extension South Extension or New Delhi South Extension (NDSE) is a neighbourhood of South Delhi, India. It is also described as a premier shopping destination. Situated on the Ring Road, Delhi, just east of All India Institute of Medical Sciencesbr>r ...

Greater Kailash Greater Kailash (often referred to as GK) is a residential area in South Delhi consisting of several neighborhoods and multiple markets. It is divided into three zones, namely part 1, 2, and 3, located around a section of the Outer Ring Road. ...

, and

Hauz Khas Hauz Khas is a neighborhood in South Delhi, its heart being the historic Hauz Khas Complex. Well known in medieval times, the Hauz Khas village has buildings built around the reservoir. There are remnants of Islamic architecture roughly color ...

in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1961, the

Indian government The Government of India (ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territor ...

transferred urban development control to the

Delhi Development Authority The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is a statutory body established under the Delhi Development Act, 1957, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India to "promote and secure the development of Del ...

(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. DLF shifted its focus to

(now Gurugram), where his and Kushal Pal's business plans led to the region's transformation into a modern urban hub. In 1995, Kushal Pal became the chairman of DLF.

Personal life

Singh had a daughter Indira. Indira married Kushal Pal. Singh died on 13 June 2000.

Legacy

After Singh's death, his son-in-law, Kushal Pal, expanded DLF into the largest real estate company in India.

References

{{Reflist

External links

DLF Official Website
1911 births 1997 deaths Indian businesspeople in real estate