NEW DELHI, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Indian real estate developer DLF Ltd (DLF.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) reported a quarterly consolidated net profit of 21.45 billion rupees ($544.4 million) on Wednesday, and said growth would remain robust on strong demand.

The company, which was listed in the middle of last year, did not give year-ago numbers in its statement to the stock exchange. Its consolidated net revenue for the quarter stood at 36.51 billion rupees.

"There is no decrease in demand. People have realised that while interest rates may not drop in near future, they are not going to go up. They are ready to take (a) commitment," Vice Chairman Rajiv Singh told reporters in New Delhi.

Brokerage firm Global Investment, in a recent note, said India would need 5 million new houses each year up to 2030 as people move from villages and smaller cities to larger centres.

DLF is likely to sell 6,000 flats in the mid-income range in the January-March quarter, more than double the number it booked in the previous three months, Chief Financial Officer Ramesh Sanka said.

"There is a shortage of about 20 million flats (in India) … The shortage will continue for next 4-5 years," he said.

DLF, which has 483 million square feet of residential projects, will launch a few thousand flats on the outskirts of New Delhi, and villas, plots and group housing societies in the southern city of Kochi, Goa state, and Panchkula in Haryana.

It has also acquired land for the development of malls and commercial complexes in Hyderabad and Pune.

Singh said the firm’s target remained to deliver 50 million square feet a year.

Shares of DLF closed 2.38 percent down at 862.20 rupees in Mumbai stock exchange, which closed down 1.84 percent.

Singh said DLF is likely to list its real estate investment trust (REIT), known as DLF Office Trust, on the Singapore stock market in the next few months despite volatility in global markets.

"There is a strong appetite for what we will be offering … We should not find a problem in finding investors," Singh said.

Indian developers are keen to raise funds for expansion by selling buildings into property trusts.

These are preferred by investors as they give higher yields than bonds and offer capital growth if property markets rise without the volatility of stocks.

India is yet to pass legislation regarding REITs.

Singh did not disclose the amount it intended to raise but said: "It is not small number. It is a good size REIT even by Singapore standards." ($1=39.4 rupees) .