Two brothers, nine rounds: How the Lodha brothers settled their ₹5,000-crore dispute

The terms of their settlement, recently filed before the Bombay High Court, clearly spell out that younger brother Abhinandan has no rights to use the word ‘Lodha’ in isolation for any real estate business. The brothers also agreed that neither owed the other any money. 

Interestingly, these terms are what Abhishek Lodha and his listed company Macrotech Developers had maintained for long.

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While the mediation was achieved in April, the terms of the settlement, as filed before the court, have now come to light. The settlement, too, was achieved in April within days of Macrotech Developers, accusing the House of Abhinandan Lodha of forgery and fraud.

When contacted, the two sides declined to comment on whether Macrotech’s allegations had any influence on the mediation process. 

“Abhinandan Lodha always believed and continues to believe that private family matters should be discussed within the family and at no stage of the legal and mediation process did we disrespect the process," a spokesperson for Abhinandan Ventures said. “We will therefore continue to maintain the dignity of such conduct."

The long-simmering dispute between the siblings had its roots in a 2017 family agreement that granted Macrotech Developers (then Lodha Developers) exclusive rights to the ‘Lodha’ brand. In 2023, the two sides entered into a limited-use agreement allowing Abhinandan to operate under ‘House of Abhinandan Lodha’. Disagreements over its use later escalated into litigation, with Macrotech Developers filing a ₹5,000-crore suit against House of Abhinandan Lodha over the use of the ‘Lodha’ trademark.

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Earlier this year, family matriarch Manju Lodha issued a heartfelt public letter on 21 February, calling for a resolution. “Your father and I have discussed at length the claims by both of you… we confirm that both of you have no right of any form in the other brother’s business or assets," she wrote in the letter reviewed by Mint.

The court filing affirms this position, noting: “The parties confirm that they have no claim or grievance whatsoever against their parents… and expressly waive all their rights to raise any dispute in this regard."

The terms specified that Abhishek and Abhinandan Lodha will not “commence or continue any proceedings, complaints or suits against each other in relation to any event which may have occurred prior to the date of these consent terms".

Resolution came through nine mediation sessions with retired Supreme Court judge Justice R.V. Raveendran, appointed as mediator by the Bombay High Court. The siblings met both physically and virtually, with their legal teams in attendance. The final consent terms, submitted in April, lay down strict separation norms.

The fine print

As part of the consent decree, Abhinandan has agreed not to use ‘Lodha’ in isolation for any real estate venture. Instead, the brand may only appear as ‘House of Abhinandan Lodha’, a composite unit in which the word Lodha cannot be visually or linguistically emphasized.

“The parties confirm that Macrotech Developers Limited has an exclusive right over the brand name, trade name and trademark ‘Lodha’ and ‘Lodha Group’," states the court filing. However, Macrotech has agreed not to use two specific terms—‘Lodha Ventures’ and ‘Lodha Finserv’. 

For ventures outside real estate, Abhinandan may use his full name, such as ‘Abhinandan Lodha Motors’ or ‘Abhinandan Lodha Insurance’, but not ‘Abhinandan Lodha Group’.

The word ‘Lodha’ must appear in equal prominence and be accompanied by a disclaimer clarifying no connection to the Lodha Group.

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The terms, which are binding and irrevocable, include a penalty clause: any violation could revive earlier legal claims, including a damages claim of ₹1 lakh per day.

Further, for the next five years and 93 days, all marketing material, including websites, advertisements and brochures issued by Abhinandan’s businesses, must carry a disclaimer stating no affiliation with Lodha or Lodha Group.

The terms also cover trademark withdrawals, email and domain name changes, and third-party liability indemnities. In fact, Abhinandan Ventures announced on 14 May that it had withdrawn the application for registering the trademark for ‘Lodha Ventures’ from the trademark authorities.

Among them, neither side can claim any business connection with the other or recruit each other’s current or former employees and share office buildings.

Legal experts believe the consent terms mark a meticulously structured resolution of a brand and business partition within a family enterprise, becoming a model precedent in Indian jurisprudence on intra-family commercial separations.

“By establishing exclusive rights, phasing obligations, and disclaimer mandates, the parties have attempted to eliminate ambiguity in brand usage," said Mitakshara Goyal, co-founder of Svarniti Law Offices. 

“From a legal standpoint, the scope for future dispute remains—particularly if Abhinandan Lodha enters emerging sectors where brand overlap or consumer association with ‘Lodha’ may be inevitable," she added.

Lawyers also said the ₹1 lakh-per-day penalty and threat of reviving waived claims serve as potent deterrents, but only if strictly enforced. “The disclaimer obligations, while preventing confusion, could impede brand independence and long-term positioning," Goyal said.