DLF’s Rs 10,000 Crore Power Play: Offices & Malls Set to Rule the Real Estate Game

Image Source: The Economic Times

DLF Group, the largest real estate developer in the country by market capitalization, plans to expand its presence in primary urban centers by building new shopping malls and office buildings in cities like Gurugram, Noida, Chennai, and Delhi. The company's aggressive expansion drive is to further increase the company's rental yield and solidify its leadership position in the commercial property market.

Investment and Expansion Plan

DLF will put in Rs 10,000 crore by FY27, with an annual capex of about Rs 5,000 crore for FY26 and FY27, to develop high-end office spaces and shopping malls.
The expansion is on both wholly-owned ventures as well as joint ventures, prominently with Singapore's GIC and US-based Hines.

Project Locations and Details

Two big shopping malls are being developed in Gurugram and Noida.
Office campuses are also coming up in Gurugram and Chennai, with a data center development in Noida.
Three new malls—one in each of Goa, Delhi (Moti Nagar), and Gurugram—will come up in FY26, spanning around 1.4 million square feet.
A large 2.5 million square feet shopping mall is also to be constructed in Gurugram.

Portfolio and Rental Income Growth

DLF now has under management 45 million square feet of commercial real estate assets comprising 41 million square feet of office space and 4 million square feet of retail space with over Rs 5,000 crore of rental income per annum.
The group has the target of doubling its rental assets and realizing Rs 10,000 crore of rental revenue per annum by FY30.
There are about 28 million square feet planned and in the process of development, more than 17 million square feet of which are already built.
Over 6 million square feet of new space is on track to be completed during the current fiscal year.

Strategic Partnerships and Market Position

Most of DLF's business property is owned by DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd (DCCDL), a joint venture with GIC, where DLF has a 66.67% interest and GIC has 33.33%.
The company's joint venture with Hines is developing an office complex spanning 3 million square feet in Gurugram.
DLF has high occupancy levels—approximately 93% in its office and retail portfolios, 98% retail occupancy and the majority of new projects nearly 95% pre-leasing.

Market Outlook and Rationale

The growth is fueled by robust corporate demand, particularly Global Capability Centers (GCCs), and rapid expansion of India's middle class driving organized retail.
DLF Grade A++ commercial real estate products are brandished as a global value proposition with world-class quality and cost effectiveness.

The organized retail space has bounced back strongly post-pandemic, with strong growth in footfalls and sales at malls.

Sources: The Week, Economic Times Realty, Moneycontrol, Outlook Business