DLF’s The Camellias in Gurugram has quietly evolved into one of India’s most influential founder ecosystems. Beyond record-breaking apartment prices, the complex has become a space where startup leaders, unicorn founders, and investors exchange ideas, insights, and opportunities through everyday proximity rather than formal networking.
Luxury real estate in India has always carried symbolism. It has represented status, success, and arrival. But at The Camellias, luxury has taken on a far more functional role. Here, real estate is not just about where you live, but who you live among.
Located on Gurugram’s Golf Course Road, The Camellias is widely regarded as India’s most expensive residential address. Developed by DLF, the 17.5-acre complex houses 428 ultra-luxury residences across 16 towers. Apartments here are priced between ₹30 crore and ₹190 crore, numbers that once seemed implausible in the Indian housing market.
Yet what makes The Camellias remarkable is not its price tag. It is the way this address has quietly transformed into a living, breathing network of India’s startup elite, where conversations about scale, capital, and strategy unfold not in boardrooms, but in lifts, lobbies, and over breakfast.
The financial momentum around The Camellias tells only part of the story. In September 2025 alone, apartments worth more than ₹270 crore changed hands inside the complex. Demand has remained consistently strong despite prices that rival commercial assets rather than homes.
The defining moment came earlier that year. In April 2025, Rishi Parti, Director of Info-X Software Technology, purchased a penthouse for ₹190 crore. The deal became the most expensive residential transaction ever recorded in India.
On paper, this cemented The Camellias as a landmark in luxury housing. In practice, it reinforced something else. For India’s wealth creators, particularly startup founders, this was not about excess. It was about alignment.
Monthly rentals ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹20 lakh have not deterred occupancy. Residents often describe the cost as secondary to the environment. What they are paying for is not square footage, but strategic closeness to people operating at a similar scale.
What has unfolded at The Camellias was never officially planned. There is no formal members-only club or structured networking programme. Yet over time, the resident list has come to resemble a who’s who of India’s startup ecosystem.
Among those living here are Shark Tank India judges Ashneer Grover, Aman Gupta, Peyush Bansal, and Ghazal Alagh. They are joined by founders such as Deep Kalra, Varun Alagh, Vikram Chopra, Lokvir Kapoor, Anita Lal, and Deepinder Goyal.
This concentration has created an informal founder ecosystem. Residents speak of spontaneous conversations about fundraising cycles, regulatory pressure, scaling teams, and exit strategies. These are not scheduled meetings. They happen naturally, because everyone involved understands the context without explanation.
In a world where access often determines opportunity, this kind of environment is rare.
For startup founders, time is the most constrained resource. Traditional networking often requires travel, formal introductions, and deliberate effort. At The Camellias, proximity compresses all of that.
Founders living here describe the ease of sharing experiences with people who face similar pressures. A casual exchange in a shared space can offer clarity on valuation expectations, investor sentiment, or international expansion risks. In some cases, these conversations have reportedly evolved into advisory relationships or co-investments.
This is why occupancy remains high despite premium pricing. For many residents, living at The Camellias replaces multiple networking layers. The value lies in trust built through repeated, informal interaction.
It is not accidental that many see this as more effective than accelerator programmes or closed-door conferences.
Architecturally, The Camellias reflects global ultra-luxury sensibilities. Designed by Hafeez Contractor, the complex prioritises privacy, scale, and comfort.
Residents have access to private spas, wellness zones, vitality pools, salt rooms, and concierge-level services that mirror seven-star hospitality. Bronze-accented staircases and reflecting pools lend the property a resort-like calm, insulating it from the city outside.
Yet residents often say the physical luxury fades into the background. What stands out is the sense of belonging to a peer group that understands ambition at scale. This shared context is what turns a residential complex into a community.
The rise of The Camellias as a founder hub mirrors a broader transformation in India’s wealth creation story. Today’s wealth is younger, technology-led, and globally connected. Founders who built companies in their thirties and forties are shaping not just markets, but social ecosystems.
Unlike traditional industrial wealth, this generation values collaboration and knowledge exchange. They seek spaces that allow both privacy and interaction. The Camellias, perhaps unintentionally, has met that demand.
Similar developments may emerge in other cities, but replicating this ecosystem will be difficult. It is the convergence of timing, location, and people that gives The Camellias its influence.
The story of The Camellias is not just about luxury real estate. It is about how physical spaces can shape business outcomes. In an economy increasingly driven by ideas, access, and speed, proximity to the right people can be as valuable as capital itself.
By bringing together India’s most influential founders under one roof, The Camellias has become more than an address. It has become a quiet engine of collaboration, insight, and opportunity.
In many ways, it reflects where India’s startup economy is heading. Less formal, more interconnected, and deeply shaped by community.
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