NATION HONOURS DR. K.P. SINGH

On the eve of Republic Day, 2010, the Government of India conferred the award of Padma Bhushan to Dr. K.P.Singh, Chairman, DLF Ltd.. Padma Bhushan is one of the country’s highest honours for exceptional and distinguished service to the Nation.. The award was presented to Dr. K.P. Singh by the Honorable President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil in a glittering ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 31st March 2010.

In conferring this award to Dr. K.P. Singh, the country has not only recognized the yeomen service rendered by him to the society but has also duly acknowledged his leadership role in the field of real estate development in pioneering  the chapter of real estate  reforms and bringing about quality change in the area of urban housing. The DLF under his stewardship grew to be the undisputable leader in real estate development with 266 million sq feet of developed and 423 million sq feet of planned projects, and pan India presence across 30 cities. He has always endeavored to carry communities with him by becoming a partner in their progress. He is of the firm conviction that for the corporates it is extremely important to pay back to the society which has contributed to their growth and believes that the increasing awareness of the social responsibilities of the corporate sector need to be taken a step further by undertaking dedicated, mission-mode philanthropic activities in a targeted and result-oriented manner in order to make a lasting difference.

In synch with the above philosophy, he pioneered the setting up of the DLF Foundation under his direct patronage. This Foundation is today deeply committed towards launching initiatives which create long term impact towards improving the lives of the less fortunate. DLF Foundation, which aims at evolving innovative and action based solutions to help underserved sections of society fulfill their unrealised aspirations for a better life through interventions in the areas of health, education, and employment linked skill development. His vision for the DLF Foundation is to act as a catalyst in bridging the rural urban divide and ensuring that the benefits of growth and prosperity are shared by all. The motto of the DLF Foundation “We dream, We dare, We grow, We care” is a reflection of his commitment towards serving the underprivileged by making them active participants in the company’s progress.

Upon receiving the Award, Dr. K.P. Singh said “I feel overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratitude and humility. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Government of India for this great honour and for recognising my lifetime work. I consider it a tribute to all those who have supported us in the mission of building a new India. This is recognition for the entire housing and construction industry”.

In another special ceremony on 5th April,2010, ASSOCHAM also felicitated Dr. K.P. Singh on being the first real estate developer to be conferred the Padma Bhushan. Mrs. Swati Piramal , Chairman , ASSOCHAM paid glowing tributes to his immense contribution in revolutionizing the real estate sector in India. A number of other eminent speakers which included leading industrialists and past Chairpersons also paid rich tributes to the doyen of the real estate industry. In his address, Dr. K.P. Singh gave out his vision for India, 2020. He while listing out the challenges which face our country today, remarked that though a great progress on the economic front has been made, enough has not been done to lift the vast sections of population from homelessness, poverty, ignorance and disease. He emphasized on the need to initiate urgent measures in the areas of economic reforms, agricultural economy, infrastructural development, improving skills, ensuring energy security and combating Naxalism.  He reiterated that taking people out of poverty line into the mainstream is undoubtedly a huge challenge and cannot be tackled by the government alone. He urged the business community and the corporate sector to come forward and contribute towards their Corporate Social Responsibility activities by taking visible actions.