MUMBAI: In Mumbai’s overheated realty firmament, the Lodhas are one of many brightest names however now the battle between the 2 brothers — Abhishek, 45, and Abhinandan, 43 — over the model title has turn out to be the speak of city. The dramatis personae on the coronary heart of the controversy are the 2 brothers, their father Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) MLA and state minister for ability improvement and entrepreneurship, and the patriarch who began the realty enterprise in 1980, and their mom Manju, who’s torn between her “Ram and Lakshman”.
Lodha vs Lodha: Brothers slug it out over who will get to make use of the large model title
Whereas different India Inc households in realty – the Hiranandanis, Rahejas and Godrejs – managed clean operations after a strategized cut up, the Lodha story is fraught.
As previous provides solution to new
The Lodha Group, renamed Macrotech Builders in 2019, made it to the GROHE-Hurun India Actual Property prime 100 checklist the second time in 2024, now holding the second spot after DLF, with a mixed wealth of ₹91,700 crore.
In its early years, the corporate focused reasonably priced housing for the middle-class however ultimately expanded its portfolio into luxurious. The shift was a consequence of the 2 brothers’ return from the West with world experiences. Abhishek had labored with McKinsey & Co in Atlanta, USA, after buying a Grasp of Science in Industrial and Techniques Engineering diploma from Georgia Institute of Know-how, Atlanta. Abhinandan had pursued MBA from College of Cardiff, UK.
In 2003, Mangal Prabhat Lodha eased his sons within the household enterprise – Abhishek was positioned because the managing director of the Group, whereas Abhinandan took cost of finance. The brothers would make formal appearances collectively until 2015 to advertise their model, enterprise and initiatives.
After which Abhinandan separated from the household enterprise to start out his personal firm, Lodha Ventures, a monetary providers agency in 2015; however the true bother began when he ultimately entered the true property market, launching The Home of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL), in 2020.
A turbulent current
Dispute throughout the household turned public in January 2025 when Macrotech Builders moved the Bombay excessive court docket citing foul play by HoABL and Abhinandan in using the household title ‘Lodha’ in his corporations. Abhishek desires his brother to chorus from utilizing the trademark. His competition: Utilizing the title ‘Lodha’ in each entities was creating confusion amongst consumers.
His petition has introduced cases of big-ticket company gamers and potential house consumers being perplexed by the true property enterprise run by the brothers. Abhishek supported his declare by presenting chats between Aditya Puri, former CEO of HDFC Financial institution, and Lodha Group’s consultant, the place the previous enquired in regards to the Lodha venture in Alibaug, which is being developed by HoABL. In one other occasion, a former government assistant to industrialist Sunil Bharti Mittal reached out to Abhishek a couple of property in Goa, in search of to attach with a salesman of HoABL.
An insider instructed HT, “The confusion had peaked to such an extent that legal notices that should have landed at the doors of HoABL came to Lodha Group. It’s a case of brand equity erosion.” It led Abhishek to hunt damages of over ₹5,000 crore from his sibling for “unlawfully” including his firm’s trademark.
Even because the authorized battle goes to a mediator, their mom Manju Lodha has intervened legally. A fastidiously drafted letter by their mom Manju on February 21, 2025, presents a mixture of feelings and authorized astuteness as she refers to her sons as “Ram and Lakshman” who had been the envy of her personal associates. The letter requests the 2 to “stop all disputes immediately”, and never “interfere in any manner with each other’s business”.
Curiously, the Lodha Group’s registered handle and HoABL’s company and registered handle are separated by a couple of flooring in Lodha Excelus, Mahalaxmi. Likewise, the Lodha clan additionally resides at Lodha Costiera on Napean Sea Highway. The siblings dwell only a ground aside, whereas their dad and mom occupy a few higher flooring in the identical constructing.
In the meantime, even because the mediation is proving to be troublesome to navigate, earlier this month Macrotech Builders alleged that HoABL had cast and fabricated an id doc (PAN card) and signature of one in every of its impartial administrators and former chairman and managing director of Dena Financial institution Ashwani Kumar to register 4 corporations utilizing the Lodha title. This was alleged in a statutory disclosure made to the Bombay Inventory Change and Nationwide Inventory Change on April 2.
Whereas the Abhishek camp didn’t press any legal cost, in a transfer that stunned the administration and authorized crew on the Lodha Group, HoABL filed a 73-page police criticism at NM Joshi Marg police station on April 3 to research the alleged forgery offence dedicated by unknown individuals.
Kumar didn’t reply to HT’s queries.
A outstanding developer termed this an inside dispute that has spilled out within the public area. “When they had parted ways, they never traded charges in public. Something surely has gone wrong along the way. Once the siblings settle their differences, all will be forgotten with the scale of branding exercise that will be undertaken to promote their company and sell realty projects.”
The early experiments
In higher occasions, when the brothers had been a united power, in 2010, the Lodha Group secured a 22.5-acre plot in Mumbai’s Wadala for ₹5,700 crore. Right now, its fairness stands enhanced, rechristened New Cuffe Parade in central Mumbai.
In the identical 12 months, the siblings introduced the development of a 442-meter “world’s tallest tower” in Decrease Parel referred to as World One. Co-incidentally, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest standing at 828 metres, opened to public in the identical 12 months.
Progressive methods additionally led the brothers’ foray into an settlement with Trump Towers in 2013 for a 78-storey residential Trump Tower at Decrease Parel, second in India after Pune’s Panchshil Realty. Presently, India has 4 Trump Tower properties — in Pune, Mumbai, Gurugram and Kolkata.
A 12 months later, in 2014, Lodha Group stepped into London’s realty market by shopping for the previous Canadian Excessive Fee constructing in Mayfair for £306 million. On the time Abhishek had instructed ‘Financial Times’ that he desires to be among the many prime two builders in London by 2019. They nevertheless offered the property ultimately considering a untimely exit in a bid to maintain its India enterprise afloat. Removed from changing into one in every of London’s prime two builders, it exited the UK market in 2023.
Gradual fissures
The rift between the brothers emerged by October 2015, earlier than their businessman-turned-politician father celebrated his sixtieth birthday. The brothers determined to half methods, with Abhishek taking management of the true property enterprise with an anticipated income of ₹9,000 crore in FY 2015-16. Abhinandan arrange Roselabs Finance, monetary providers enterprise with a market capitalisation of simply ₹30 crore.
Two household agreements in April and September of 2015 reveal there have been no clashes within the non-compete sectors and firm or trademark names. By March 2017 nevertheless each agreements got here unstuck with the change in possession of enterprise and belongings. Moreover, the brothers found errors and discrepancies in property valuation and detrimental affect on the household’s London belongings brought on by Brexit. A 3rd settlement collectively signed by dad and mom and the 2 sons said that neither brother had agreed “to take possession and management of divided properties as envisaged” within the first household settlement. HT has seen copies of the third and fourth agreements.
The 2017 settlement gave the rights of the true property enterprise to the senior Lodhas, Abhishek and Rajendra Lodha (director at Lodha Group). Abhinandan was to take cost of “new businesses”, managed straight or not directly by him and “engaged in business other than real estate”. These new companies fell beneath Lodha Ventures, which might later run into trademark dispute for using the Lodha title.
The brand new settlement categorically talked about that he is not going to have interaction in any actual property exercise within the Mumbai Metropolitan Area (MMR) for 5 years (March 2017-2022) and in Larger London for 30 months. He was nevertheless “free to engage in real estate business outside the two territories…” stated the settlement, a replica of which is with HT.
Abhinandan’s entities had been solely allowed to “…advertise itself as ‘Abhinandan Lodha venture/ project’ but develop and own a distinct and separate IPR…differentiated from the Lodha real estate business”.
The non-compete clause of 2015 permitted the Household Council comprising the dad and mom, Berjis Minoo Desai (an impartial authorized counsel engaged in succession and property planning for HNIs and promoter households) and a sure Dineshbhai Patel to permit Abhinandan to enter MMR’s actual property enterprise three years after the amended settlement. Nonetheless, this got here with a caveat — supplied Lodha actual property enterprise was in a wholesome monetary form and the phrases of settlement weren’t violated by him.
Aside from splitting properties, it was additionally agreed that Lodha Builders would pay Abhinandan ₹25 lakh per 30 days for 30 months and Abhinandan’s enterprise would supply a mortgage with out curiosity of ₹144 crore to Abhishek’s firm. This was to assist the true property enterprise as a consequence of “tight financial conditions”.
Brothers at struggle
In December 2023, on the finish of the 5 years stipulated within the third settlement, a recent settlement was finalised between the brothers – Abhinandan secured the fitting to develop his personal id within the type of ‘House of Abhinandan Lodha’ or HoABL for the true property enterprise.
Till 2023, Abhishek’s Lodha Group had its footprint in virtually all verticals of actual property – residential, industrial, retail, warehousing and plots. It operated within the geographies of MMR, Pune, Nationwide Capital Area and Bengaluru. Whereas, HoABL, a subsidiary of Lodha Ventures, has initiatives in MMR, Maharashtra, Goa, Ayodhya, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
A supply near Abhinandan instructed HT that the litigation moved by Abhishek in January is a consequence to Abhinandan’s HoABL Infraworld, a subsidiary, buying the American Centre, at New Marine Strains, at ₹55.98 crore within the second half of 2024; a month later, in December 2024, HoABL introduced that its upcoming venture might be of floor plus seven-storey highrise with a improvement potential of round 60,000 sq ft. “Perhaps this hasn’t gone down well with Abhishek, who has viewed his younger sibling as a direct competition to his real estate business, and hence the trademark battle,” the supply stated, on situation of anonymity.
Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Manju, Abhishek and Abhinandan didn’t reply to Hindustan Instances’s request to be interviewed on the continuing dispute.