Lodha vs Lodha: Mother Enters as Real Estate Heirs Clash Over the Family Brand
In a dramatic turn of events, the Lodha family, one of India’s most prominent real estate clans, is embroiled in a bitter feud over control of the family brand. The dispute pits two factions of the family against each other, with neither side willing to back down.
At the center of the conflict is Ketki Lodha, the matriarch of the family and wife of the late Kathawala Dattaraj Lodha, the founder of the Lodha Group. Ketki Lodha has been named the chairman of the company, but her sons, Manish and Mangal Lodha, are contesting her authority, accusing her of mismanagement and seeking to take control of the company.
The family’s real estate empire, valued at over $1 billion, has been built over decades through a combination of shrewd business deals and strategic acquisitions. The Lodha Group is known for its high-end luxury housing projects, commercial spaces, and infrastructure developments, with some of the most prominent residential and commercial projects in Mumbai and other major Indian cities.
The spat began when Ketki Lodha, now 75, took over as chairman of the company, sparking concerns among her sons that she was not equipped to lead the rapidly growing business. The animosity between the two camps has been brewing for months, with both sides accusing each other of dodgy business practices, mismanagement, and nepotism.
The feud recently escalated when Manish and Mangal Lodha filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, seeking to remove their mother from the chairman’s post, citing her "ill health" and "incompetence." They claimed that she was no longer fit to run the company and that her leadership was harming the business.
In a counter-move, Ketki Lodha’s legal team filed a writ petition in the same court, challenging the sons’ competency to lodge the petition and questioning their motives. The matriarch’s counsel argued that her sons were trying to undermine her authority and take control of the company for their own gain.
As the feud continues to rage, the future of the Lodha Group hangs in the balance. Lenders, investors, and partners are keeping a close eye on the developments, worried about the potential impact on the company’s financial performance and reputation.
This family feud is a stark reminder that even the most seemingly bulletproof corporate empires can be vulnerable to internal conflict. The Lodhas’ dispute highlights the challenges of family dynamics in business, where personal relationships can often be at odds with professional ambitions and interests.
As the battle for control of the Lodha Group rages on, one thing is clear: only time will tell who will emerge victorious, and what the ultimate cost will be to the company’s legacy and reputation.
