The Skyline Strategist

ABHISHEK LODHA HAS SUCCESSFULLY CEMENTED LODHA DEVELOPERS AT THE FOREFRONT OF INDIA'S REAL ESTATE BOOM.

- BY V. KESHAVDEV

REAL ESTATE AT a height is not just a measure in floors, but, at times, could be symbolic of foresight. From the 36th floor of One Lodha Place, the view from the glass-walled conference room is mesmerising: a panoramic view of the Worli skyline and in the distance, the graceful arc of the Atal Setu bridge spanning the Arabian Sea. India's longest sea bridge will eventually connect the Coastal Road in the west and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in the east, slashing commute time between the two cities, that also happen to be the two biggest real estate hotspots. Right next to the commercial skyscraper is Lodha World Towers, a 76-floor residential complex, uniquely curvilinear in shape.

Overlooking one of his company's newest landmarks—a testament to two decades of transformation—Abhishek Lodha, leaning back on a chair, is calm, measured, and deliberate in his tone. The 39-year-old is not just recounting the growth of Lodha Developers (formerly known as Macrotech Developers); instead, he is unpacking the story of India's coming of age in powerful stats: from a low-income nation to one on the brink of middle-income prosperity.

“India is going through a once-in-a-lifetime transformation: moving from a low-income to a middle-income country. And whenever that happens, real estate experiences a very long upcycle,” explains the eldest son of Mangal Prabhat Lodha, the founder of what was once a fledgeling real estate business back in the 2000s.

He explains that this aspirational transition of millions from farms to factories, from small towns to metros, is fuelling an entire ecosystem. “Housing is not just about buildings. It powers over 400 industries, from cement to steel, from furniture to finance. It's the multiplier that breathes life into an economy,” Lodha tells Fortune India.