Starting on the back nine, Pulkkanen got into the red numbers with a birdie at the 11th before adding another at the 14th.
It was at the turn where the World Number 387 hit the birdie trail, rolling in gains at the 17th, 18th and first to sit one behind Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra, who was already in the clubhouse at six under.
Pulkkanen joined the Spaniard at the summit at the third with his sixth birdie before he produced a magnificent approach at the fourth, where his wedge into the par-four hole landed five feet left of the pin before hopping sideways into the cup for an eagle two.
That catapulted him into a two-shot lead heading into his final five holes, and he increased his advantage to three at the eighth thanks to a four-foot birdie putt.
“A great start,” the Finn said. “My putter was really hot, I think I missed just one putt inside 15 feet. A lot of good putts and solid tee to green. It was a good score.
“I think I was a bit lucky with a couple of putts as well, they went in on the edge of the hole. A solid wedge game, a lot of wedges inside six feet, so I was able to make easy birdies as well.
“I hit my five iron off the tee (on the fourth), one or two clubs too much, and I was quite close to the pin. I tried to hit a low wedge shot to jump forward and it did exactly what I tried, so it was perfect.
“I did some good work back home in Finland, although it was snowing a couple of days. My iron game was good. Overall, everything was awesome.”
Chacarra – a first-time winner on the DP World Tour on just his ninth appearance in New Delhi – is in contention once again after a six-under 65 to be Pulkkanen’s closest rival.
China’s Zhengkai Bai, who finished with a hat-trick of gains, Australian duo Jason Scrivener and Elvis Smylie, New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori and American Jordan Gumberg all carded 67 to reach four under.
