About Aakash Ohri:
Aakash Ohri is the Managing Director and Chief Business Officer at DLF Limited, with a distinguished career spanning nearly two decades marked by transformative leadership. Over the years, he has overseen diverse functions and infrastructure initiatives, playing a key role in shaping the company’s growth and strategic direction. A Harvard graduate and a respected veteran in Indian real estate, he brings together deep industry expertise, strategic vision, and a passion for excellence reflected both in his professional journey and personal pursuits like golf.
1. Delhi is witnessing a clear shift towards high-rise, vertical living due to land constraints. How do you see this transformation reshaping residential preferences and community living in the Capital?
Delhi is at a decisive point in its urban evolution. With limited land availability, rising infrastructure demands, and changing lifestyle expectations, the city’s residential landscape is shifting toward vertical development. High-rise living is no longer viewed as a compromise; it is increasingly a deliberate choice for homebuyers seeking efficiency, security, comfort, and access to well-planned amenities within professionally managed environments. Vertical communities also make it possible to organize density more intelligently. By building upward, developers and government can integrate landscaped areas, shared social spaces, and essential services within a single development, enabling interaction and community engagement while maintaining personal privacy. This approach reflects the planning patterns seen in established global cities, where vertical housing supports both liveability and urban density. Over the past 15 years, the emergence of modern condominium clusters in Gurugram and Noida has familiarized many Delhi residents with this lifestyle. As a result, apartment living with managed facilities, security systems, and shared amenities has become a widely accepted residential format across the NCR. However, a significant segment of residents, particularly families from Central and West Delhi, remain deeply rooted in the city. Their businesses, extended families, and social networks are closely tied to established neighbourhoods, making relocation outside Delhi less appealing. For these households, proximity to familiar ecosystems outweighs the appeal of moving to satellite cities. As premium vertical developments begin to emerge within Delhi itself, they present a compelling alternative: modern, well-planned residences without sacrificing the city’s social and cultural anchors. With thoughtfully designed offerings, vertical housing within Delhi can meet the expectations of this audience while responding to the city’s spatial constraints.
2. DLF One Midtown has emerged as a landmark residential development in West Delhi. What were the core principles behind its planning and positioning within the larger Midtown ecosystem?
This location has long been part of our development journey. In 2009, we introduced Capital Greens, which evolved into three phases, Capital Greens 1, 2 and 3 over next decade and today home to nearly 2,800 families. That foundation paved the way for the next phase of development: ONE Midtown, a 40-storey luxury residential project with 900+usnits, that forms part of the larger DLF Midtown ecosystem. In parallel, we envisioned DLF Midtown as a first-of-its-kind mixed-use neighbourhood in Delhi, comprising ONE Midtown, the Corporate Tower, Capital Greens 1, 2, 3 and now DLF Midtown Plaza (a retail and commercial plaza). The development is uniquely positioned alongside more than 100 acres of DDA green spaces, creating one of the largest green lungs in this part of the capital and giving the neighbourhood a rare balance of urban density and open landscapes. ONE Midtown was conceived as a natural progression of the Midtown masterplan, with the objective of bringing world-class high-rise condominium living into the heart of Delhi. The planning centred on three principles: central location, seamless integration with surrounding infrastructure, and a layered lifestyle offering. Rather than a standalone project, the vision was to create a self-sustained urban enclave that enhances West Delhi’s residential character. The development also introduces several firsts for the city: one of Delhi’s tallest residential towers, an expansive private clubhouse of a scale rarely seen in condominium projects, and immediate access to a retail and social hub at Midtown Plaza just steps away. A defining feature is the rooftop lifestyle deck, designed to offer panoramic views of the Delhi skyline while creating a unique space for leisure and social interaction. The project also includes Delhi’s first residential infinity pool. Such amenities have bene long associated with Gurgaon’s luxury developments, now introduced within the capital city itself.
3. The clubhouse at One Midtown is a major lifestyle anchor. How important are such curated, community-centric amenities in driving buyer decisions in premium housing today?
In today’s premium housing, buyers are investing in lifestyle, not just a home. The One Midtown Club, spread over 21,000 sq. ft., is Delhi’s first private club of this scale, offering dining, café, fitness centre, spa, creche, community rooms, and curated hospitality, all within the development. Designed as a members-only sanctuary, it blends wellness, leisure, and social interaction, creating organic opportunities for residents to connect and unwind. In a dense urban environment like Delhi, such a clubhouse serves as the social and emotional heart of the community, shaping both purchase decisions and long-term satisfaction.
4. Capital values at One Midtown have seen strong appreciation since launch, along with rising rental demand. What factors have driven this performance, and how do you see it evolving over the next few years?
Historically, DLF marquee projects have delivered strong returns, both in capital appreciation and rental yield. Capital Greens demonstrated similar performance over the past 15 years, and ONE Midtown is following the same trajectory. Several factors underpin its premium positioning and robust returns: a central Delhi location, the limited supply of luxury high-rise condominiums within city limits, and the credibility of the DLF brand. Since its launch in early 2022, prices at ONE Midtown have risen from around ₹18,000 per sq. ft. to close to ₹30,000 per sq. ft. (depending on typology) in just three years. Rental demand has also surged, driven by end-users and corporate tenants seeking premium, well-managed residences and the rental prices comparable to South Delhi addresses like GK 1 and 2, Defence Colony and Vasant Vihar. As the Midtown ecosystem continues to evolve with retail, social, and lifestyle hubs becoming more popular, this combination of location, lifestyle, and investment fundamentals is expected to sustain both capital and rental growth.
5. With upcoming retail and social hubs like Midtown Plaza, how do mixed-use components enhance liveability and long-term value for residents?
With rising traffic and longer work hours, convenience has become a luxury. People increasingly prefer walking to destinations rather than commuting. Midtown Plaza addresses this shift, emerging as a key social and retail hub in West Delhi. Within a few minutes’ walk from ONE Midtown and the 3,500-plus residences of the DLF Midtown ecosystem, the Plaza brings together high-street retail, diverse F&B options, entertainment anchors, including a PVR multiplex, and everyday conveniences, creating a vibrant, walkable lifestyle destination. By integrating shopping, dining, and leisure within the neighbourhood, DLF Midtown transforms urban living into a self-sustained, connected experience where home, work, and recreation seamlessly converge.
