Meet KP Singh, the man behind DLF

Seeing the grand scale of properties developed by DLF Limited in India, especially Gurugram, it’s hard to imagine a time when the company wasn’t prolifically building. But, as someone from India who lived there for years, I can attest to the fact that oftentimes (a few decades ago), business was a political endeavour, often subjected to the varied ambitions of those on the political ladder. They could deny or approve, grant or stump projects as they chose — and this was the battle the businessman with dreams and soaring ambitions had to wage and what Why the Heck Not? Blueprints for Success from the Man Who Built DLF deals with.

The inspirational tale, which begins in the 1940s, takes you through decades as a time traveller of sorts, co-authored by the person passing on the wisdom, Kushal Pal Singh, or KP as he is fondly known, and Aparna Jain, the writer who is crafting key incidents and life lessons into words. Each chapter also ends with KP Speak, words from the man himself, encapsulating the learnings from the story of his success.

As a branding and advertising effectiveness aficionado, I was pulled in by these lines from Jain in the foreword, “Today, DLF has a stellar reputation as a brand that delivers not just value but quality, which is the Singh family’s legacy. This book is the perfect offering for people who want to live their lives long and completely, with KP’s reflective approach, incessant curiosity, boundless energy and compassion.”

This is the truth: without quality there is no way that anyone can build a lasting brand, much less a legacy. And quality comes from somewhere deep within. In KP’s case, it came from deciding to follow the guidance of his American mentor, George Hoddy of Universal Electric, which is narrated deftly in a chapter from his past as well as dinnertime conversations with his family.

The book, billed as blueprints for success from the man who built DLF, has a simple and easy to follow structure.

One element that contributed to Singh’s great success was belonging to a family with strong networks. But what use is legacy if it is not grown, built upon and in this case, exceeded by miles?

What deftly shines through in this narrative is KP’s ability to learn from everyone and anything, something that played an important role in his achievements.

That, and his insistence on never holding a grudge, make him stand out from the business doyens of his era. All of whom including KP had to play by different rules in times when the Indian economy was not liberalised and the government had put strict measures in places, including the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, which imposed a ceiling on vacant land holdings in urban areas, limiting the amount of land that individuals and entities could own.

To build a real estate behemoth like DLF through times like these takes more than a bit of luck, although Singh definitely seemed to have the knack of being in the right place at the right time in front of the right person. Case in point, the very beginning of his foray into civilian business life might have ended before it started with his attempt at getting the then Indian Defence Minister Krishna Menon to accept his resignation from the army. Lt Gen. Brij Mohan Kaul, chief of general staff and confidant to the minister, helped Singh through the hiccup.

Some of the most important lessons he passes down are the ones he learnt from his peers both in the army as well as business life. For example, this bit about preventing success from getting into people’s heads: “Gen. Wadalia’s ‘dressing down’ technique is a principle I treasure. I still use it with people who are excellent at work. While I commend them on their initiatives, I always point out something they didn’t do quite as well and talk them through the consequences of their mistakes or of slacking off. It indeed keeps teams sharp and helps to keep people’s egos in check. It also fosters more team spirit rather than individual success.”

It cannot be denied that Singh is a force to be reckoned with in the Indian business landscape. He worked tirelessly, made more than the most of opportunities given to him, tackled some tough opponents with grace and even navigated the ultimate nemesis of the real estate sector, economic downturns. At every step, he implemented brilliant solutions and demonstrated resilience.

His biggest achievement inarguably is the building of Gurugram, erstwhile Gurgaon, turning the hinterlands into a place where reputed global names hobnob with leading start-ups from the country, which reinvented the way a city in India could look and feel, the way Indians could live and work. The secret to his success is refreshing: the ability to be transparent about everything that he does, thus showing an approach that comes from good intentions.

So, what could a modern day entrepreneur learn from this book? It’s a look at how partnerships must be treated, for one thing. This deeply intimate book also offers a look at Singh’s personal life — and relationship with his wife, Indira Singh. He was devoted to her till her passing in 2018, speaking volumes of a marriage that started after a courtship of just two months. It also shows a relationship of equals; he listened to her advice and placed importance on her opinions.