“For our vertical business, Bombay (Mumbai) is the focus. That said, growth will come as much from outside Mumbai as from within. We can’t rely on just one market, and we will have things to do outside of this market within the next 12 months,” Abhinandan Lodha, chairman of HoABL and group entity Abhinandan Ventures (earlier Lodha Ventures).
HoABL operates pan-India in cities like Alibaug, Anjarle, Dapoli, Goa, Neral, and Ayodhya, claiming leadership in the branded land business.
The company also holds land parcels in Vrindavan, Amritsar, and Nagpur, among other cities. HoABL expects to expand vertical development in these cities too, within the next 12 months.
“In markets where everything’s already been discovered and innovation is limited, it’s not a natural fit for us.”
After building the necessary operational strength, future growth areas include logistics, industrial warehousing, and rental housing, Lodha told Mint earlier in May.
“First, we wanted the HoABL brand to stand for something meaningful. But we see logistics, industrial warehousing, and rental housing as natural extensions. When and how we get into them will depend on opportunities, but we’ll explore anything related to land.”
Founded in 2020, HoABL’s first focus was the fragmented land market, long viewed as risky for average buyers. “We solved the four key challenges holding this segment back. Once that happened, the category opened up big time,” Lodha explained.
One reason to start with one segment was to build an independent brand. Barred from using the Lodha brand after a family settlement earlier in 2025.
Earlier this week, Mint reported that the resolution came through nine mediation sessions with retired Supreme Court judge Justice R.V. Raveendran, appointed as mediator by the Bombay high court.
“Meeting Justice Ravindran taught me that clear thinking and a simple approach can solve problems that seem complex at first,” he told Mint.
This forced him to start fresh with HoABL, without the brand recognition he once had. “The consumer response we’re seeing now wouldn’t have come if I had launched too early without building our own brand,” he said.
Lodha expects comparisons to his former family firm but insists HoABL is different—leaner, faster, and broader in geographic reach. “Even if there’s a common surname, the brand promise is entirely different. Over time, consumers will gravitate toward the one that aligns with their values,” he said.
For now, the big bet is on Mumbai
Abhinandan Lodha, the newest entrant in Mumbai’s vertical development market, is now charting a path for himself under his own banner. Its entry into vertical buildings is in line with a broader trend of major builders such as Bengaluru-based Prestige and Gurugram-based DLF increasingly expanding into the Mumbai real estate space.
For the next 4-6 months, the focus will remain on Mumbai—a complex, capital-intensive market. His strategy targets both affordable housing in Mumbai’s peripheries, such as Naigaon, and a residential project near Girgaon Chowpatty in South Mumbai.
“In the next 3–4 months, we’ll fulfil some key promises. After our first vertical launch, we’ll outline four problems we intend to solve with it—how we plan to do it, and why it matters. That will drive significant volumes,” he said.
“We see real estate like a factory. Goods need to keep moving; it’s not a static asset. If we can deliver 20–30% margins at both ends of the spectrum, that’s a strong outcome.”
He faces a tough challenge: Competing with established players, including his kin’s firm—Macrotech Developers or The Lodha Group, in one of India’s most competitive real estate sectors.
Anuj Puri, chairman of ANAROCK Group, said Mumbai’s unique geography—surrounded by the sea on three sides—limits its physical expansion, making vertical growth and northward development the only viable directions.
“Unlike other Indian cities that can expand outward in all directions, Mumbai’s growth is constrained. Development here is essentially linear—moving from the south towards the northern suburbs, and vertically upward,” he said.
Despite these limitations, Puri believes there is still ample opportunity for new players. “Mumbai is big enough. South Mumbai alone spans roughly 157 square kilometres, and Greater Mumbai covers over 437 square kilometres. There is meaningful room for growth. But for new entrants to succeed, especially those not starting with redevelopment projects, they must have a deep understanding of what drives this market,” he said.
Despite rising investor interest, Lodha is in no rush to raise capital at the holding company level but will look to raise private funding in 12-18 months after establishing its ground.