Lodha Family Feud: Macrotech CEO Moves to Court Against Brother Over “Lodha” Brand

Sibling rivalry between real estate scions, the Lodha brothers, has reached the Bombay High Court over the use of the "Lodha" brand. Abhishek Lodha, the CEO of BSE-listed realty firm Macrotech Developers, has asked the court to stop his younger brother, Abhinandan Lodha, from using their family name. 

The dispute concerns the name of the House of Abhinandan Lodha, the real estate arm of Lodha Ventures. 

According to Mint, Macrotech has sought "urgent interim and ad-interim relief" from the court, requesting the removal of "all or any reference to the Lodha trademarks and/or any other mark/logo/label/trade dress identical with and/or deceptively and/or confusingly similar in any manner whatsoever." 

Macrotech claims that the Lodha brand has been built with "significant investment and effort over 40 years" and is critical to the company's intellectual property rights. A Macrotech Developers spokesperson told Mint, "Our shareholders include the world's most renowned investors and one of India's largest charitable entities. We are duty-bound to protect our company's valuable rights." 

In its petition, Macrotech said that it sent a letter to the House of Abhinandan Lodha on September 8, objecting to their use of the "Lodha" brand, which Macrotech claims is misleading and implies a connection between the two entities. 

The company also said that customers have reached out to Macrotech seeking clarification. Macrotech demanded that Abhinandan Lodha's entity stop using the Lodha name and issue a disclaimer on their websites, saying that they have no connection with Macrotech or the Lodha brand. 

Meanwhile, Abhinandan Lodha, in his media statements, has claimed that the dispute is sparked by the success of his company, which he says "Macrotech Developers is unable to digest." 

Also Read: Protecting The Family Riches

The Lodha Brothers' Split    

The feud between the sons of Mumbai businessman and BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha first surfaced in 2015. At the time, the Lodha Group reportedly divided responsibilities between the siblings, with Abhishek Lodha tasked with managing the real estate business, while Abhinandan took on a leadership role in the financial services arm of the business. 

As per the latest petition, the siblings reached an agreement in 2017 to divide the family empire. Macrotech claims Abhinandan was prohibited from using the Lodha trademarks and/or any trademark deceptively similar under the deal. 

The younger Lodha sibling claims he has honoured his side of the agreement and even helped Abhishek during stressful times with financial support and guarantees. 

"Lodha Ventures and Lodha FinServ were given to me as part of the settlement process, and the understanding was that the Lodha name was not to be used on a standalone basis in real estate. Hence, we have our companies as Lodha Ventures, The House of Abhinandan Lodha, and Lodha FinServ," he said. 

"We are very clear that we are into plotted development and not high-rise buildings, and we largely operate in locations where Macrotech is not present. This was by choice," Abhinandan added.

He set up the House of Abhinandan Lodha in 2021, the same year Macrotech went public. Today, Abhishek Lodha's company develops projects across Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and aims to expand into other cities. Meanwhile, the House of Abhinandan Lodha has developed land in Maharashtra, Goa, and Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.