Lodha Bros Amicably End Long-Drawn Biz Dispute

In a significant development, the Lodha brothers—elder brother Abhishek Lodha and younger brother Abhinandan Lodha—and the companies led by them, have amicably resolved all outstanding disputes under the guidance of their parents, according to a press statement issued by them on Monday.

The two brothers have agreed and confirmed that Macrotech Developers Ltd (MDL), is the owner of, and has the exclusive right to use, the brand names ‘Lodha’ and ‘Lodha Group’.

The agreement states that Abhinandan Lodha is the owner of, and has the exclusive right to use, the brand name ‘House of Abhinandan Lodha’ (HoABL).

It further states that the Lodha Group and the House of Abhinandan Lodha have no connection with each other, and both entities will communicate this widely.

According to the agreement, Abhinandan Lodha has no rights or claims in Lodha Group or MDL or other businesses of Abhishek Lodha. Similarly, Abhishek Lodha has no rights or claims in HoABL or other businesses of Abhinandan Lodha.

“Both Abhishek and Abhinandan express their heartfelt gratitude to Justice RV Raveendran (Retd.), whose guidance in the mediation process was invaluable. The family is grateful to Justice Arif Doctor for encouraging them to follow the process of mediation. They also extend their sincere appreciation to all family elders and well-wishers who provided their counsel and support throughout the resolution process,” the press statement added.

Abhishek and Abhinandan Lodha had agreed to find an amicable way in January after the Bombay High Court issued fresh directions in the long-drawn dispute.

Earlier in January, the court had encouraged both parties to pursue an amicable resolution, following which the two brothers expressed their willingness to participate in mediation before a single bench led by Justice Doctor.

The court appointed former Supreme Court Justice Raveendran to serve as the mediator and indicated that efforts should be made to conclude the proceedings within five weeks. The court had also allowed for an extension of the period for resolving the dispute, if the mediator found any positive developments.

The dispute between the two brothers flared up in 2015, when Abhinandan Lodha parted ways with the Lodha Group to start his own independent business. The separation was formalized through a family agreement two years later, but a dispute broke out again over the use of the ‘Lodha’ brand.

The differences led to a legal battle with Macrotech Developers approaching the Bombay High Court, alleging trademark infringement by House of Abhinandan Lodha. Macrotech claimed ₹5,000 crore in damages, alleging that Abhinandan Lodha's use of the name created confusion in the market.

—IANS