A small glimpse into the mind and heart of Mr Abhinandan Lodha
In a world hungry for bold leadership, the unassuming powerhouse always stands out. Among countless leaders, there are those who command attention with grand gestures and booming voices. But amidst the clamour, a rare breed of leaders emerges, possessing an unassuming yet remarkably strong presence that captivates and inspires. In an exclusive interview, we had the opportunity to sit down with Mr Abhinandan Lodha and gain insights into the person that he is and all that has made him Him.
“I'm very emotional by nature,” he says. “Everything makes a difference to me, right from how my daughter says Good Morning to me, to how Marylin seems when I see her in office, to how Karthik reacts when I speak to him on the phone, to how Saxenaji will behave when I disagree with him. Everything matters to me because people matter a lot to me. I'm not of the belief that you should raise your voice when talking to somebody. I'm not of the belief that it is okay to lose your temper. And I expect this from all my leaders too. I believe one get their point across in a manner which is appropriate. It’s very important to be in control of your emotions.
“Being emotional doesn't mean that you let go control of your emotions. It’s very important to be controlled. I think it's very important to be emotional also, otherwise why are we alive?” he gestures assertively.
His close friends and colleagues say ‘he finds beauty in the madness’.
“That's because I also create most of the madness,” he says breaking into a chuckle. “It fundamentally comes from my belief that I'm very, very lucky to be where I am. I was not a topper in school. I was a very average kid. I had five friends in school and they are still my closest friends. The remaining 195 kids would often say ‘this guy ain't going to do much in life’. So, the scale at which I'm able to operate today and compare what we've built in the last 24 months also essentially allows me all of this madness.”
“Ships are not built to stay on the shore. So if you don't take a risk, I think you're being quite stupid.”
In a quick repartee, he added, “Ships are not built to stay on the shore. So if you don't take a risk, I think you're being quite stupid. Like Sylvester Stallone says in Rocky, my favourite movie, – ‘It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
Despite his illustrious reputation and influential legacy, Mr Lodha remains rooted in his middle-class upbringing. Born to hardworking parents, he recalls his early years traveling by bus and train, a practice he continues to this day. He says: “My father came to Mumbai from Jodhpur for a job. My mom came from a very rich family. But the day she married my father she left everything behind. She decided that her true possessions were in my father’s house. She would travel 2.5 kilometres to school with me in her lap because we couldn't afford to pay for taxi two ways. We come from that. After I finished my T.Y.B.Com, I think we had one car in the house. There was no other option but to travel by bus and train.”
“Even today, I travel in the local train at least twice a month as a rule. I think it's very important to stay connected and grounded. I still move around in a bus. My guard and driver may not like it because they have to come along. But these are my roots. Growing up, my parents came from nothing.”
“My circle, too, is full of people who are hardcore middle class. My friends and I meet every week, we share the same silly jokes. When we go out, everybody's very conscious of how much they are spending. And then there's my mom on top of that. At the movies, if she finds out I ordered one extra bucket of popcorn, I know I'm going to get an earful for the next half an hour. So I think all of it combined allows us to stay middle class. And I would say very proudly that it's great!”
Building His Own Legacy
When asked about the legacy he carries, Mr Lodha asserted that he has built his own legacy rather than relying solely on his family background. He attributed his success to a combination of opportunities, the dedication of his team, and their unwavering support during challenging times. Demonstrating his strong work ethic, he expressed gratitude for being able to build a legacy not just once, but twice.
Those close to him, describe Mr Lodha as both aggressive and a people person. Sharing his perspective on leadership, he highlighted the importance of genuinely caring for and treating his team members as extended family. “Otherwise, there's no point in asking them to spend 14 hours a day with you. Similarly, you must be able to aggressively push the envelope with each one of them because they're looking towards you to understand what next to do.”
“And that's what exceptional people do. They tend to bring out the best in you. I've been surrounded with an exceptional team who always wants to do more and more and more and more. That enables me to be able to clearly keep the personal and the professional aside. Each of them means a lot to me personally, but it's also my duty to push them as we try to do newer things.”
As the head of a tech-enabled company in a traditional sector, we asked about his peculiar partiality towards a basic mobile phone in this day and age of smartphones. Stating that his choice of using a basic phone is not indicative of his appreciation of technology but rather a personal preference for better communication with people. He explained that he relies on his exceptional team to drive the technological aspects and emphasised the importance of staying abreast of technological advancements and maintaining a student-like mindset to grow businesses effectively.
Do you ever plan to use a smartphone?
“I do use one but it is only for my younger daughter Tarushi. She has forced me so I have to keep one because the moment she finishes school, she wants to video call me. Beyond that I don't think I need one.”
So, you're never going to use one?
“Never say never, but I hope not,” he quips grinning.
Finding Balance: From Workaholic to Family Man
Reflecting on his journey, Mr Lodha acknowledges that finding work-life balance has been a continuous challenge. In the early years of his marriage, he dedicated long hours and worked tirelessly to establish himself professionally.
“I think I've always struggled to find a balance there. For the first 10 to 12 years of my marriage, I was working seven days a week, 20 hours a day. I was out every day; my day began at 5:30 am and I would return not before 1 am. Even the day Yashvi was born, I was working till one hour before Sheetal was taken to the hospital for delivery. But I have no regrets. I think it enabled me to learn a lot,” he says.
“Now, fortunately, I'm in a place where I can afford to balance both. Now, I make sure I get half my Saturdays and the full Sunday off. I spend it with my family. This is all thanks to the fantastic people with me doing most of the thinking and the execution and my value add is right at the fringes. It allows me to enjoy my time with family.”
A warm smile forms on the corners of his lips as I ask him about his wife - Mrs Sheetal Lodha.
“Sheetal and I met when I was in Grade 10. I'm guessing we were around 15 years old. She and I were in different schools but we went to the same after-school classes. I met her on a picnic. We quickly became best friends. We went to college together but began dating only after we finished our T.Y.B.Com. Right before I was to go abroad for further studies, I proposed to her.”
The courtship wasn’t easy. “Both our moms, especially Sheetal’s mom, asked us to wait. They felt that things might change once I leave the country. That didn’t stop us. As soon as I came back, within a year we were married. She's the rock of my life. She's been with me from the time when I used to move around in a bus. And she always tells me that it really doesn't matter how much money you have. What matters is how much joy we can create together.”
“If there is one person after my mom who I've learned the most from, it's my wife. I love her a lot, but I respect her even more.”
“And if there is one person after my mom who I've learned the most from, it's my wife. I love her a lot, but I respect her even more.”
A Father's Hopes and Dreams
When discussing his children, Mr Lodha, his eyes beaming with pride, says he hopes they become well-rounded and content individuals who contribute meaningfully to society.
“Yashvi is far more mature and extremely measured in her words. She has a very high EQ and IQ. That is also because as a child she has seen things. A large joint family moving to a smaller joint family then moving to a nuclear family. So, she we went through her own understandings of the family. She's extremely quiet as a child except when she needs to speak. She takes after her grandmother; she's very ambitious, tops her class and is a beautiful writer.”
Tarushi too has an extremely high EQ. She is very, very mischievous; reminds me of me when I was a child.”
For Yashvi and Tarushi, Mr Lodha hopes they will focus on giving back to society rather than solely pursuing financial success. For him, it is more important that they utilise their privileges to make a positive impact.
My day starts very early at around 4:30 am. I spend an hour and a half in the gym six days a week.
While he may be a dedicated workaholic, Mr Lodha ensures he is also taking care of his health. “I'm quite a routine person. My day starts very early at around 4:30 am. I spend an hour and a half in the gym six days a week. This habit comes from the fact that I used to be extremely unhealthy. Most of the people won't know, but some do. They have seen me at over 100 kg. I was very unfit. I had every disease you could think of – hypertension, diabetes. All of them.”
“All this changed one day. Yashvi and I were running in the park and I couldn't run beyond 100-200 meters. And she turned around and told me that ‘Papa, if you can't run with me now, how will you take care of me all my life?’ And that that hurt me. That statement stung. From that day, I decided it's very important to be focused on how fit you are, otherwise you lose a lot more than you can gain.”
A QUICK RAPID FIRE
One thing that you would want to be known for or be remembered for?
Creation.
Your perfect day?
Sunday at home with my kids.
What makes you happy?
Work.
What makes you sad?
Nothing.
One quality you want your children to have.
Hard work.
An incident that shaped your life?
It wasn't a singular event, and it can't be summed up in one word, but it happened when I was very young. I was 23 or 24 years old. Deutsche Bank had just completed a major deal with another Indian real estate firm. Despite being relatively unknown, I decided to meet with the head of Deutsche Bank who was overseeing the deal. I waited at the reception for a staggering 7-8 hours because he didn't know me and hadn't scheduled a meeting.
When he finally appeared, I handed him my business card, fully aware that I lacked recognition at that time. I told him I want to make a deal with him. He laughed it off, not taking me seriously. However, something must have resonated with him, as he suggested that I meet with one of his subordinates the following day.
I took the opportunity and met with the suggested individual, making it clear that I wanted to undertake India's largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) deal. Despite being met with further skepticism and dismissiveness, I persisted. Over the course of 10-11 months, we worked tirelessly on the deal, facing numerous obstacles and encountering resistance from others in the process.
During that period, I would arrive at the office at 9:00 am and often leave around 9:30 pm. Many were reluctant to work with us, but we pushed through. This was also a time when Sheetal and I were expecting Yashvi. Despite the long hours, I would return home late at night, and we would watch a movie together, a tradition we've maintained for the past 20 years.
I remember we signed the transaction document, and they promised funding in 48 hours. That day, I reached home and we made plans to go for a movie. It had been too long we had done that. So, Sheetal, my mom and I went to the cinema. In the middle of the movie, I received a call from Dinkar informing me that the deal had fallen through. In the middle of the film, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I told Dinkar that I couldn't address the situation at that moment. We would deal with it the following morning.
You only truly lose when you give up. Otherwise, you must continuously rise, persist, and fight for what you believe in.
The next day, we regrouped and worked relentlessly for another nine months, ultimately securing the deal. It turned out to be the largest-ever FDI investment in any real estate company in India. This incident, along with several similar experiences with various financial institutions and projects, taught me a valuable lesson: you only truly lose when you give up. Otherwise, you must continuously rise, persist, and fight for what you believe in.
How do you unwind at the end of the day?
My mom is my best friend. We spend an hour at the end of each day gossiping about the world regardless of the time I reach home.
She and I will sit and gossip about everyone we know. She tells me everything she did during the day and I tell her everything about mine. And then we have a favourite set of people we love gossiping about. After she goes to sleep, Sheetal and I catch a movie and that's unwinding for the day.
When do you sleep?
I sleep very less. I'm blessed that I don't sleep more than 4 hours a night.
What's your ideal Sunday?
A day full of activities with the kids. We don't ‘chill together’ as Yashvi puts it, except in the evening. But we do a lot of sports together. She'll go swimming with me or even cycling. There'll be some reading, we'll try and cook some food together, and then we'll probably have a family meal.
Do you cook?
I tried but I can't even burn water.
Best gift that you've ever got?
My kids.
What's your biggest flaw?
I wear my heart on my sleeve and I trust blindly. I don't think it's a flaw, but I've been told that I trust people very easily, but I believe that's an essential part of where I've gotten in life.
What's your biggest strength?
The people who work with me.
Where do you see yourself in the years ahead?
I think the Lodha Ventures ecosystem is without doubt enroute to become the most disruptive ecosystem in the Indian real estate space. And I think we'll replicate this in at least one or two more sectors.
HEAR! HEAR!
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