Can DLF hit it out of the park, beyond its Delhi-NCR playground?

The Gurugram-headquartered firm, though, plans to tread cautiously into the new markets it is looking to enter

- Khushi Malhotra

ndia's largest developer is looking to venture beyond the comforts of its home turf again but is treading cautiously as it prepares to navigate new markets. Gurugram-headquartered DLF Ltd is eyeing a pipeline of new launches worth ₹l trillion over the next five years but has no intention of rushing into projects unless the margins are attractive, Aakash 0hri, joint managing director and chief business officer of DLF Homes, told Mint in an interview. While the Delhi-National Capital Region will remain DLF 's focal hub, the company is preparing to launch a project in Mumbai in January-March with apartments priced at ₹6-8 crore, 0hri said. DLF is also preparing to launch avilla project in Goa and a residential project in Panchkula in Haryana, with apartments priced at ₹3-5 crore. '*DLF is not in the rat race of just producing and launching products for the sake of launching," 0hri said. "We are making sure that there are products with margins and products that will keep the interest of our customers intact and alive." °'NCR will always be our main focus. Our hub will continue to be there-and there is a phenomenal amount of grth in NCR," he added. "We are focusing hard on retail sales. We don't want bulk sales," he added. "We will handpick our buyer irrespective of the demand. That's the change in strategy." The developer had also planned to enter the luxury residential development space in Chennai last year, as disclosed by 0hri during the company's 2023-24 December quarter earnings calls with analysts. But in March this year, DLF sold a 4.67-acre land parcel in Chennai for ₹735 crore to Cholamandalam