Real estate magnates Abhishek Lodha and Abhinandan Lodha have officially resolved all outstanding legal disputes, marking the end of a highly publicized trademark battle that culminated in a ₹5,000 crore lawsuit before the Bombay High Court.
This resolution follows a mediation process overseen by retired Supreme Court judge Justice RV Raveendran, after the matter was referred by Justice Arif Doctor on January 31, 2025.
SETTLEMENT TERMS
As part of the mediated agreement:
- Macrotech Developers Ltd. (MDL), led by Abhishek Lodha, will be the sole owner and exclusive user of the brand names ‘Lodha’ and ‘Lodha Group’.\
- Abhinandan Lodha will retain exclusive ownership of the ‘House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL)’ brand.
- The parties have mutually acknowledged that:
- “There is no connection whatsoever between ‘Lodha Group’ and ‘House of Abhinandan Lodha’, and both parties have agreed to communicate this widely to the public.”
- It has been confirmed that:
- “Abhinandan Lodha holds no rights or claims in Macrotech Developers Ltd. or any other businesses operated by Abhishek Lodha. Conversely, Abhishek Lodha has no rights or claims in HoABL or the businesses of Mr. Abhinandan Lodha.”
BACKGROUND OF THE DISPUTE
The rift between the Lodha brothers dates back to 2015, when they chose to part ways professionally. This was formally documented in a comprehensive family settlement agreement in March 2017.
Under the 2017 agreement:
- Abhishek Lodha retained the family’s core real estate operations under Macrotech Developers (formerly Lodha Developers).
- Abhinandan Lodha was to pursue a separate business venture, unrelated to real estate.
The agreement included:
- Clauses that assign all trademarks related to the real estate business exclusively to Macrotech.
- A non-compete clause prohibiting Abhinandan from entering the Mumbai Metropolitan Area real estate market for five years, and limiting his activities in Greater London, where Lodha Group had strong operations.
ESCALATION OF THE TRADEMARK DISPUTE
Despite the 2017 terms, tensions persisted. In December 2023, a supplementary agreement was reached to reinforce the restrictions—explicitly prohibiting the use of names like ‘Lodha Ventures’.
In September 2024, Macrotech issued a legal notice demanding that Abhinandan’s entities:
“Immediately cease using the ‘Lodha’ or ‘Lodha Group’ names and issue public disclaimers clarifying that there was no connection between their operations and Macrotech’s business.”
While Abhinandan’s firm acknowledged the use of ‘Lodha Ventures’ on October 25, 2024, it allegedly failed to deactivate certain infringing domain names, as claimed by Macrotech.
₹5,000 CRORE LAWSUIT AND MEDIATION
On January 22, 2025, Macrotech Developers filed a ₹5,000 crore lawsuit against Abhinandan Lodha’s companies before the Bombay High Court. The suit demanded:
A permanent injunction against the use of the ‘Lodha’ trademark or similar marks,
₹5,000 crores in damages for infringement and passing off, and
Disclosure of the defendant companies’ business accounts.
The case was assigned to Justice Arif Doctor, who subsequently referred the matter to mediation on January 31, appointing Justice RV Raveendran as mediator.
LEGAL REPRESENTATION
Abhinandan Lodha was represented by a stellar legal team including Senior Advocates:
Kapil Sibal, Mukul Rohatgi, Ravi Kadam, Veerendra Tulsapurkar, Aspi Chinoy, Karl Tamboly, and Siddharth Luthra,
instructed by Rashmikant & Partners and Karanjawala & Company.
Abhishek Lodha was represented by Senior Advocates:
Janak Dwarkadas, Darius J Khambata, and Sharan Jagtiani,
instructed by Veritas Legal.
CONCLUSION
The settlement brings an amicable close to one of India’s most talked-about corporate legal disputes. With clearly defined brand boundaries and public acknowledgment of their separation, Abhishek Lodha and Abhinandan Lodha can now focus on their respective ventures—Macrotech Developers Ltd. and House of Abhinandan Lodha—without further legal entanglements.
