New Delhi, Jan 8 () Realty major <keyword id="46877" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lodha-group">Lodha Group</keyword> has said its sales bookings rose by 30 per cent to nearly Rs 2,000 crore in the third quarter of this fiscal. The group is also planning to raise up to Rs 1,500 crore this calendar year by monetising commercial assets in Mumbai region. "We had a strong performance in sales during the third quarter. Our sales bookings have increased by 30 per cent to nearly Rs 2,000 crore," Lodha Group MD <keyword id="167433" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhishek-Lodha">Abhishek Lodha</keyword> told . In the first nine months of 2019-20, sales have reached around Rs 5,000 crore, up 15 per cent from the corresponding period of the previous year.
 Out of total sales bookings, Lodha said around 60 per cent is from affordable housing projects having a carpet area of 60 sq metre and below. 
 "For the full fiscal, sales bookings should be around Rs 7,000 crore," Lodha said. 
 Recently, Lodha group announced an investment of Rs 2,500 crore to develop three affordable housing projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in a price range of Rs 25-50 lakh per unit. These three projects, comprising nearly 9,000 units, are located at Thane, Bhiwandi and Taloja and launched under a separate brand, ''Crown''.
 On debt, he said the total borrowing for India business has come down to Rs 16,000 crore. Another Rs 2,000 crore pertains to London business. 
 "We have recently completed divestment of commercial asset worth Rs 1,400 crore. In this calendar year, we plan to raise Rs 1,300-1,500 crore by selling office and retail spaces comprising over one million sq ft," Lodha said. 
 Regarding the London business, Lodha said the company has already completed one project and the second one would be handed over by March-April this year. 
 The company has sold about half of its inventories in these two projects and is targeting to sell all units in the next 12-18 months, he added.
 "We are expecting a surplus of Rs 5,000 crore from London projects in the next 12-18 months," Lodha said.
 Lodha group had made a foray into the London market in 2013 with the acquisition of the landmark MacDonald House at 1 Grosvenor Square in prime Central London for over 300 million pounds (Rs 3,100 crore). The group acquired another site in prime Central London, New Court at 48 Carey Street for 90 million pounds in 2014.
 The first project Lincoln Square was launched in 2016 while the second project 'No.1 Grosvenor Square' started in 2017.
 Lodha Group is India''s largest residential real estate developer by sales. The company clocked net new sales of over Rs 7,000 crore in 2018-19 with collections of over Rs 9,000 crore. MJH MKJ

Lodha Q3 sales booking up 30% at Rs 2K cr; to raise up to Rs 1,500 cr by selling commercial assets

India is standing at the edge of a potential housing boom, which as per <keyword id="6397676" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="CLSA">CLSA</keyword> India estimates, could reach up to $1.3 trillion in the next seven years. The country’s growing middle class is demanding better housing, and is better efficient than ever when it comes to the means to achieve this dream. India has always been extreme in its housing approach, with sprawling slums at one end and enormous mansions at the other. However, the gap can be filled now, since CLSA analysts think that the country might make good use of a broad acceleration in residential construction in the $2 trillion economy. "The last decade was about price appreciation," Pankaj Kapoor, founder of Mumbai-based <keyword id="1086661" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Liases-Foras-Real-Estate-Rating-Research">Liases Foras Real Estate Rating &amp; Research</keyword> told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-06-05/from-tenement-to-township-india-s-1-3-trillion-housing-push">Bloomberg</a>. "This decade will be about volume growth," he adds. It was in November last year when PM Modi played the demonetisation card to control corruption and black money, a move that impacted the Indian <keyword id="6354553" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="real-estate">real estate</keyword> hard. However, the industry seems to be in the mood of recovery, with housing sales growing 19% across nine cities in the March quarter, says data from PropTiger.com. The population factor plays its role too, with about 69% of the country's 1.3 billion people being in prime age of house buying, i.e., between 20 to 40 years. This is more than any other nation, says a Bloomberg Intelligence report from April. Similarly, CLSA's note dated May says that the per capita income has also grown at a compound annual growth rate of 10% for the past five years, which means that an average Indian can get a house in this boom. However, when it comes to having the adequate number of houses to home this middle class, we lag behind. With more and more people migrating to urban areas, the infrastructure has weighed down, land costs have gone up, and eventually, there is a shortage of houses. However, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s "<keyword id="2481158" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Housing-for-All">Housing for All</keyword>" programme, which was launched in June 2015 comes as a saving grace. The programme aims to build 20 million urban homes and 30 million rural houses by 2022, making property the most affordable in two decades. The programme, unfortunately, remains marred because of several hurdles. There's still "a big question mark" over whether the government's housing plan is "realistic and implementable," says <keyword id="6420759" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anuj-Puri">Anuj Puri</keyword>, chairman of real-estate services at JLL Residential. "It seems impossible if enough land is not released for the creation of affordable housing. Land is a very price-sensitive commodity, and its current shortage in major city-centric areas prevents the development of affordable housing in areas where it is most direly needed." Even with these challenges, the government has started to view housing as an "economic enabler," said <keyword id="167433" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Abhishek-Lodha">Abhishek Lodha</keyword>, MD of <keyword id="46877" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lodha-group">Lodha Group</keyword>, one of India's biggest property developers. "The government has started recognizing that for the middle class to start creating wealth for themselves they have to participate in housing, just like any democracy," he adds. Banks are not far behind when it comes to the race to get a piece of the action. The country has seen more than 16 mortgage financiers commencing work in the two years to last June, with banks offering housing loans as a way to boost capital and offset commercial loans that it’s burnt hands with in form of mounting bad debts. CLSA expects that India would see 60 million new homes between 2018 and 2024, with a 70% rise in social and affordable housing. The propagated dream of the PM, to give every Indian a home, might eventually come true sometime in the future. (Image source Mom Constructions)

A sneak peak into Indian middle class’s $1.3 trillion housing push

New Delhi, Mar 12 () Realty firm Lodha Group's UK subsidiary has cleared its USD 325 million debt which was raised through issuance of bonds in 2015.Lodha Developers International, a subsidiary of Mumbai-based Macrotech Developers (earlier Lodha Developers), has paid USD 345 million (Rs 2,550 crore), including USD 20 million as interest, to clear its debt.Lodha International has completed all requirements and payments for the redemption of its March 2020 US dollar bonds in full along with accrued interest, a company statement said.To repay its bond, the company has recently raised USD 225 million (Rs 1,650 crore) in senior secured notes with maturity in 2023. In February, it had raised 86 million pounds (Rs 800 crore).The bond-issue opened on February 27. The bonds will be listed on the Singapore exchange.Abhishek Lodha, MD &amp; CEO, Macrotech Developers, said: "We were always confident of being able to meet our USD 325 million bond repayment obligations and have completed all requirements and payments for the bond to be repaid in full along with accrued interest.""Despite the economic slowdown in India which has been further compounded by factors like coronavirus and the oil price shock, we are pleased that we have successfully completed this obligation," he added.Lodha Group had made a foray into the London market in 2013 with the acquisition of the landmark MacDonald House at 1 Grosvenor Square in prime Central London for over GBP 300 million (Rs 3,100 crore).Macrotech Developers is India's largest residential real estate developer by sales and construction area. It clocked net new sales of over Rs 7,000 crore in 2018-19 with collections of over Rs 9,000 crore and delivered over 10,000 offices and homes in FY 18-19.In the first nine months of 2019-20, sales have reached around Rs 5,000 crore, up 15 per cent from the corresponding period of the previous year. The debt of India business is around Rs 15,000 crore. MJH MJH ANUANU

Lodha Group's UK arm clears USD 325 million debt

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48141834.cms" />Chairman and founder of Lodha Group, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, has put a succession plan in place to avoid any confrontation between his two sons in future. 
In this regard, Lodha is dividing the empire into two clear businesses - real estate and financial services. 
 
While the real estate will be helmed by elder son Abhishek, younger one Abhinandan will head the financial services, which will be engaged in housing finance, asset reconstruction and wholesale lending. 
 
Though the companies will function independently, they both will use the Lodha brand. A holding company will control both these companies. 
 
One of the people familiar with the news told Economic Times that the company's employees were informed about the impending changes in a town-hall meeting held by Lodha and Abhishek last week. 
 
A formal announcement to all stakeholders is likely to be made this week. 
 
A well-placed source told ET that Lodha turns 60 later this year and he was keen to put a succession plan in place. 
 
"Many proposals were discussed in the past four months. Mr Lodha was very keen not to divide the real estate business but use group resources to nurture the financial services business, much like what Rahul Bajaj did for his two sons Rajiv and Sanjiv," a source familiar with the reorganisation told the financial daily. 
 
Reportedly, Lodha will have 80% stake in the holding company while the balance 20% will be owned by Abhishek, Abhinandan and some family members. 
All three companies will have Lodha and both his sons on their boards. 
 
ET stated Abhishek is the group's managing director while Abhinandan is designated deputy managing director. The group's real estate business, Lodha Developers, clocked revenue of Rs 8,000 crore in 2014-15. 
 
Meanwhile, nearly 30 employees of Lodha Developers will be shifted to the new financial services company and hiring for this unit will start later. 
 
Abhishek, 36, and Abhinandan, 33, joined the family business in 2003. While the elder son looks after construction as well as functions such as legal, marketing, corporate planning and strategy, Abhinandan is responsible for sales, taxation and finance. 
 
Lodha Group, founded in 1980, is currently developing an estimated 43 million sq ft of real estate projects, mostly in the Mumbai metropolitan region and there are 28 ongoing projects across London, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

This billionaire real estate magnate is dividing his group in two clear businesses. Know why

New Delhi, Mar 5 () Realty firm Lodha group's UK subsidiary has raised over USD 200 million by issuing bonds in Singapore market to refinance part of its outstanding debt, sources said.The issue opened on February 27. The bonds will be listed on the Singapore exchange.Lodha Developers International, a subsidiary of Mumbai-based Lodha Developers (which has been renamed as Macrotech Developers), had proposed to offer USD 225 million (around Rs 1,611 crore) aggregate principal of senior secured notes maturing in 2023.According to the sources, Lodha group raised a little over USD 200 million in the bond-issue. Many global investors - including Allianz, Citi, UBS, and Fidelity invested in this issue.Lodha International will use the proceeds of the issue to refinance a part of its outstanding USD 324 million (around Rs 2,320 crore) senior notes maturing this month."Earlier this week, we raised 86 million pound (Rs 800 crore) in the UK. With these proceeds and additional cash flows from our UK and India businesses, we look forward to fully repaying our USD bonds in March 2020," Macrotech Developers MD &amp; CEO Abhishek Lodha had said on February 27.On Wednesday, Moody's Investors Service said that refinancing risk for Macrotech Developers continues to remain high, even as it might be able to meet its near-term debt maturity.Lodha group had made a foray into the London market in 2013 with the acquisition of the landmark MacDonald House at 1 Grosvenor Square in prime Central London for over GBP 300 million (Rs 3,100 crore).Macrotech Developers is India's largest residential real estate developer by sales and construction area.The company has clocked net new sales of over Rs 7,000 crore in 2018-19 with collections of over Rs 9,000 crore. It delivered over 10,000 offices and homes in FY 18-19.In the first nine months of 2019-20 fiscal year, sales have reached around Rs 5,000 crore, up 15 per cent from the corresponding period of the previous year.The debt of India business is around Rs 15,000 crore. MJH BALBAL

Lodha group's UK arm raises over USD 200mn via bond-issue

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/40167287.cms" />MUMBAI: American <keyword id="6354553" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="real-estate">real estate</keyword> tycoon <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> plans to <keyword id="47916" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="invest">invest</keyword> in the upcoming uber-luxury residential project in Mumbai to which he has lent his name. While the quantum of equity stake is still being negotiated, the move will mark the 68-year-old billionaire’s first investment in India. 
 After two non-starter projects in Mumbai and Bangalore, Trump’s bet on India’s realty sector has finally materialized with the business magnate tying up with <keyword id="45817" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lodha">Lodha</keyword> Developers for a complex in Worli. “India is a great place to invest, especially after the elections, and this project (Trump Tower) speaks well about the prospects for the country,” said Trump, adding that several Indians reside in his towers globally. Indian rules allow a foreigner to invest $5 million in a joint venture with a three-year lock-in period. 
 Trump earns billions of dollars by licensing his name to various residential and hospitality projects across the world. Besides Lodha’s Trump Tower in Worli, the chairman and president of <keyword id="1002277" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Trump-Organization">The Trump Organization</keyword> has licensed his name to a 22-storey residential complex in Pune, which is being developed by Panchshil Realty. 
 
Trump said that he has been looking at India for many years but it is only now that he found the right partner and the right opportunity. According to him, the partnership with Lodha is like “seeing a beautiful person and falling in love”. “Getting into partnership is like getting into marriage — chemistry is very important,” said Trump. 
 The 75-plus-storey Trump Tower, which entails an investment of Rs 2,300 crore, comprises 3-, 4- and 6-BHK apartments, priced between Rs 9 crore and Rs 18 crore. Already 100 units out of the 300 have been sold, claimed <keyword id="167433" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhishek-Lodha">Abhishek Lodha</keyword>, MD of the Rs 8,700-crore Lodha Developers. Non-resident Indians from Hong Kong and the Middle East form a good chunk of the buyers. Lodha expects to earn revenues of up to Rs 5,000 crore from the Worli project.

Mumbai Realty Prices Are Unbelievably Low: Trump

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51775824.cms" />When Mumbai-based private property developer <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=lodha+group&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Lodha Group</a> acquired the Canadian embassy building in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=london+mayfair&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">London's Mayfair</a> district for $530 million (Rs 3,300 crore then) in its biggest overseas move in November 2013, industry watchers saw it as a one-off event. 
 
But within three months, India’s largest housing developer by sales, acquired another asset called New Court, located on Carey Street next to the London School of Economics from West End of London Property Unit Trust, giving a glimpse of its strategy of carrying out big-ticket property transactions overseas along with buying land parcels in India. 
 
However, the developer’s peers got a clear sense of its overseas ambitions only when a few months later Abhishek Lodha, managing director, announced plans to become one of the biggest investors in London’s residential property market by spending as much as $5 billion—$3 billion for acquiring new assets and $2 billion for construction—and developing a slate of properties ranging from super-prime to mid-market by 2018 end. 
 
In the process, Lodha plans to take on top London-focused realtors such as Berkeley and Barratt Development in what it describes as the largest foreign direct investment in the UK housing space ever. 
 
Lodha aims to be among the top developers in London by making significant investments using cash flows generated back home in Mumbai where it is it developing several high-profile projects spread over 35 million sq ft in prime areas such as Napean Sea Road, Prabhadevi and Walkeshwar. 
 
Rather than acquiring existing UK developers, the group plans to build a ‘local business’ by significantly expanding the size of its London team which currently has around 25 members. 
 
In fact, its London deals are a continuation of similar transactions it carried out in Mumbai—a few years ago, it bought the US Consulate's Washington House in South Mumbai for Rs 341.82 crore then. 
 Started by Mangal Prabhat Lodha in 1980, family-controlled <keyword id="46877" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lodha-group">Lodha group</keyword> has built some of the most prestigious landmarks in Mumbai, including the upcoming 117-storied World One tower, which is touted as world’s tallest residential skyscraper. 
 
The Lodha family has built one of India’s leading ‘organised realty firms’ with a focus on high-quality developments made alongside international partners, including the group of US tycoon and possible Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump—it recently signed a pact with Trump’s group to develop luxury residential properties in Mumbai. 
 Lodha’s plan to build and cement its presence in London came amid growing interest from non-UK realty groups in the British capital’s booming property market. Among them was Lodha’s Mumbai-based peer <keyword id="6363556" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indiabulls">Indiabulls</keyword> that bought a building in central London’s Hanover Square for £155m in June 2014. The asset, spread across an 87,444 sq ft, was purchased from Scottish Widows Investment Partnership, now part of Aberdeen Asset Management, which put the building up for sale in April through consultancy firm H2SO which is a part of Colliers International. 
 
Indiabulls, led by group chairman Sameer Gehlaut, plans to convert the commercial asset into a residential property, as it seeks to diversify its investments and profit pool across various geographies, especially London which it sees as a safe realty market to invest. 
 
These deals were in addition to a clutch of purchases in Mayfair collectively worth more than £1 billion by Indian high net-worth individuals during the year preceding Indiabulls’ foray into London, according to Wetherell, a realty agent. 
 
In fact, as India is becoming a challenging place to invest on the back of high loan interest rates and expensive metro living conditions, an increasing number of Indians—including businessmen, professional property investors, mid-to-top level company officials and high- net-worth individuals—has been investing in real estate projects abroad, especially London, New York or Singapore. 
 
For instance, Indians purchasing properties in London, New York or Singapore can avail of the considerably lower interest rates existing in those markets. 
 
Also, since property markets are more transparent in those markets than back in India, investors can get 'clean' deals much faster and easier. 
 
Among the overseas realty markets preferred by Indians, London has emerged one of the best bets in recent times. 
 
Of late, the city has demonstrated its status as a mature realty market that has remained stable through economic cycles like the 2008 crisis. Since it has also been attracting investments from across the globe—Europe, Asia and the US—it is known to have been offering some cushion again downfall in any of these markets. 
 
While Lodha and Indiabulls are euphoric about the entry into London, most England-focused property observers are doubtful if they can make it big in one of the most thriving property markets across the globe, considering a couple of constraints. Traditionally a few developers with large land banks have been enjoying market-leadership positions in the British house-building market; either Lodha or Indiabulls has this advantage, as they are just testing waters outside their presence in India. 
 
In the past, lengthy and complicated town planning process has also hampered new players’ plans to make a decisive mark in the UK realty space, especially London. 
 
So one has to wait and see if the ambitious plans to Indian realtors such as Lodha and Indiabulls to make it big in London will fructify. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Indian realtors are making euphoric entries in London but will others follow suit

New Delhi, Jan 24 () Capital markets regulator Sebi on Friday disposed of a case of alleged insider trading in the scrip of Pantaloon Retail India Ltd (PRIL) against an individual.
 The firm is now known as Future Enterprises Ltd.
 Abhishek Jalan was alleged to have violated Prohibition of Insider Trading norms by allegedly trading on NSE in the scrip of PRIL DVR in the futures segment while in possession of unpublished price sensitive information on account of him being part of the senior management of the firm.
 However, the regulator, from the submissions of Jalan, noted that he had placed a sell order through a web based application provided by his broker and mistakenly selected PRIL futures instead of futures of GMR Infrastructure Ltd.
 Upon realising his mistake, he bought the same quantity of PRIL futures on market price to square off the futures position with a time lapse of around 3 minutes.
 Besides, he incurred a net loss of Rs 350 on account of the transactions.
 The regulator thus disposed of the proceedings against Abhishek Jalan.
 In a separate order, Sebi dismissed the proceedings against three entities -- Manjusha Lodha, ABL Infrastructure Pvt Ltd and Surinder Singh Kadyan -- for alleged irregularities while dealing in scrip of Indiabulls Integrated Services Ltd, formerly known as SORIL Holdings and Ventures Ltd.
 Allegations of disclosure lapses were levelled against Lodha and ABL Infrastructure with respect to change in their shareholding in the firm. 
 Surinder Singh Kadyan was alleged to have violated insider trading norms. However, Sebi disposed of the proceedings considering their submissions. SRS 
RVK

Sebi disposes of insider trading case against individual in Pantaloon Retail India scrip

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/55868962.cms" />The <keyword id="6543013" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="real-estate-sector">real estate sector</keyword>, which was already not facing any momentum, has been hit hard due to <keyword id="3315394" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="demonetisation">demonetisation</keyword> also. 
 Post demonetisation, home buyers are waiting for correction in <keyword id="35507" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="property-prices">property prices</keyword>, which is why developers have stopped getting queries too. 
 
In a bid to revive the property demand, the developers have started assuring home buyers of compensation, if prices go down. 
 
Apart from this, deals in the secondary market have also come down. 
 
Prakkash G Rohiira, director, Karma Realtors, a property brokerage operating in Mumbai, told ET most homebuyers are in a wait-and-watch mode because they expect prices to come down. "This expectation is drawn out of confusion, and not out of clarity. Realty developers are trying o provide stimulus to the market with price-guarantee schemes so that he market gains momentum. Enquiries for projects offering price guarantee schemes have improved over the last few days," Rohiira told ET. 
 
"With reduction in interest rates of anywhere between 1% and 2%, EMIs will go down by 10-15%, which will be a massive boost to all consumers. We are confident prices will not go down. On the contrary, demand for good quality development by Grade A developers will increase. To give customers the confidence that we actually believe in this, we are happy to provide a guarantee that there will be no such reduction in prices, and if in the next three months there is any, we will pass on the benefit to them," Abhishek Lodha, MD, Lodha Group, told ET.

Demonetisation has hit real estate sector hard, builders are willing to compensate to attract buyers

<ul><li>Marketing has always been about understanding how a consumer reacts to certain triggers and how brands can use that to influence them.</li><li>After the year 2020 turned the marketing world upside down, brands and businesses of all sizes had to reimagine their communication strategies and evolve with the rapidly changing times.</li><li>Brands started offering a helping hand to consumers by leveraging their social media presence to either amplify citizens’ SoS for ICU beds or to spread awareness around vaccination registration.</li><li>In 2021, the focus shifted primarily to digital channels owing to the pandemic.</li><li>As we enter a new year with a lot of hope and optimism for the future, we speak to a few brands to discuss how the pandemic impacted their marketing activities and what the future holds for marketing.</li></ul>After months of multiple nationwide lockdowns in 2020 and living and working in isolation, the Indian <keyword id="11095746" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing-ecosystem" source="Orion">marketing ecosystem</keyword> started preparing for a new future. Brands decided to pause, reflect, rework their strategies and most importantly, prioritise consumer interest. They focused on creating more enhanced consumer experiences online as we all waited to physically get back to our ‘normal’ lives. A few brands decided to reach out to people who were crying for help and many brands swallowed their pride, kept aside fierce rivalry and started uplifting their competitors in social media posts instead -- even burger and cola wars stopped. Consumers started yearning for stories that uplift and inspire them to keep going in the otherwise gloomy times. There was a new-found appreciation for empathetic advertising and nostalgia marketing in the brandverse, which continued in 2021. Brands delivered some hope and delight with every post and advertisement. They also started speaking one-on-one with their consumers across social media channels more than ever and delivered on what is asked of them because GenZ and Millennials are quick to call out unconnected brand purposes. Brands also moved along with the great digital migration of consumers and expanded their digital presence. They also factored in the massive economic upheavals due to the pandemic and offered value-based deals. They engaged with consumers on smart devices and interfaces across the home, expanded their media mix to include virtual reality, video conferencing platforms and video gaming platforms. This year’s Ipsos and Tetra Pak report found that the personal, economic and environmental fragility experienced during the global pandemic has created a shift from more passive concern to active caretaking -- driven by the desire to protect ourselves, our communities and the security of the planet. People are being more proactive in making the right purchases – for their own wellbeing and for the environment around them. This includes dietary choices and recycling more and reducing waste. As a result, we have seen more eco-friendly product and packaging launches this year. The concern for the environment will only grow stronger and brands will be expected to align themselves with a larger purpose. With a new-found appreciation for life and altered perspectives towards marketing, we reached out to Indian brands from different sectors to find out what are some of the trends that they expect to see in 2022. Here is what they said: Pankaj Sharma, Director – Consumer Products Division, L’Oréal India: Indian beauty consumers have become more discerning as they move between online + offline buying and experiencing paradigms. And in this journey, eCommerce will continue to play a big role in driving beauty in India. It has created more opportunities for consumer experience and demand fulfillment. The initiatives like live streaming, e-BAs, Video-Content on DIY have enabled new touchpoints. This has allowed more specific media and activation plans for each region, depending on the festive peaks. For example, at L’Oréal India, we used Insta-Festive as one of our umbrella themes and could do insta-diwali, insta-pujo, insta-karwa, insta-onam as activation points to engage with consumers on e-commerce and digital with the power of data. Apart from targeting festive occasions, we are moving towards occasion-led purchases, celebrating personal milestones of life. Hence beauty brands are sending out relevant brand communications throughout the year, with the same rigor, as one would have done during the festive season before. The festive season, however, still sees an uptick in purchases and offers a variety of formats to give consumers what they’re seeking. Raunika Malhotra, President - Marketing &amp; Corporate Communications, Lodha: In the coming year, I see stakeholder marketing becoming increasingly relevant. It essentially means working towards creating value for all stakeholders that include customers, employees, vendors, communities, natural capital, cities, etc. The other trend that we will witness is the increased use of analytics and data scientists in marketing communication and performance. Lastly, the pandemic has made people more conscious of the community and the environment at large. They are looking to engage with brands with shared values of doing good for the society and the planet. Abhishek Shahabadi, Vice President &amp; Portfolio Head, Scotch and Premium Whites Diageo India: There’s been good momentum on Diageo India brands in 2021, despite operational challenges due to pandemic led restrictions. This is attributed to the growing trend of ‘at-home drinking’. The off-trade salience increased to 88% compared to 73% in the pre-pandemic phase, as individuals were constrained to more intimate drinking occasions at home. We see at-home drinking as a strong trend coupled with the growth of outdoor experiences in 2022 as the market opens. Keeping this in mind, Diageo India continues to strengthen its in-home play through off-trade and digital along with influencer engagement to embrace ways to make at-home drinking experiences more enjoyable. Arnab Roy, Vice President, Marketing, Coca-Cola India &amp; Southwest Asia: While this year has tested the thinking and resilience of brands worldwide, going forward, we hope that the pandemic continues to regress and we get the real magic back into our lives. As people step out of their homes more often, they will be looking out for more real activities like watching blockbusters at multiplexes, visiting their favourite food “gullies” and travelling more frequently with their loved ones. Post COVID we are also seeing a trend where people are more experimentative and open to new genres of music, food, sports and entertainment. It is thus imperative for brands to deliver integrated experiences at a global scale with the agility, speed and data-driven insights that are required to win locally. Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director – Kalyan Jewellers: Gold has always been a preferred consumption item for Indians and in the post COVID-19 era, it has also emerged as one of the safer and more lucrative long-term assets. The dynamic market scenario and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to renewed interest from younger consumers who bought into the idea of gold jewellery, for the first time. Today’s young consumers or millennials consider jewellery as a fashion statement and a style symbol that will go with their sensibilities and help them showcase their true self. Because of this, it has become increasingly critical for jewellery companies to keep up with newer trends and address the changing sensibilities and consumer preferences in this ever-evolving business environment. To address the ongoing digital transformation in India’s jewellery industry, we are focusing on creating a holistic ecosystem, strengthening our omnichannel strategy and making the ‘phygital’ model more seamless. Over the past few years, we have been making consistent investments in developing and leveraging technology to offer convenient solutions to customers for purchasing jewellery or investing in gold. As a result of this, we were well-positioned to adapt to this digital transformation and ventured into newer product categories such as Digital Gold as well as explored newer avenues to reach our customers by introducing services such as Gold Ownership Certificate and LIVE Video Shopping facility, which allowed customers to browse through and purchase jewellery at the comfort of their homes. One of the biggest trends that have emerged out of the nationwide lockdown is an enormous increase in the screen time spent by Indians across digital platforms. In line with this, brands have aligned their marketing budgets towards digital, social media &amp; OTT, especially for including new content. Following this, we have introduced temporary changes to our media mix with a more digital-centric approach, which is a key to making the most during this quarter. With 2022 around the corner, we aim to continue moving forward on this growth trajectory and register consistent growth while widening our consumer base. Kartik Johari, Vice President - Marketing &amp; Commerce, Nobel Hygiene: 2022 will be the golden year for great marketeers, as content will reign supreme. We are drowning in a glut of content, be it 10 sec Reels, to full-blown documentaries. Consumers on the other hand are oscillating between anxiety, fright and boredom. The challenge is up to us, to create content that can engage, reassure, add value and be honest. It is so important to keep a track of how many people the content reaches, who engages, and what they say. We have never had so much data on our interactions and it is time we start using data better! It should be an interesting year for strong brand teams. Ketan Kulkarni, Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Dart: The world has acclimatized to the ‘new normal’ and what seemed to be the most challenging obstacle of 2020, has now enabled us to prepare for any unprecedented events that could cause business disruptions in the future. A major factor in actualizing this is agility driven by technology and automation. The role of logistics has been highlighted over the last two years given our industry’s essential service status and this has only been possible because of the technology-based solutions adopted by resilient players. 2022 will definitely see an enhancement in the ‘Technology-led transformation’ that we are witnessing today. Digitalization across the supply chain from first mile to last mile is the future of the industry; technology enabling near-autonomous facilities, robotics, drone-delivery systems, and 3D/additive manufacturing are going to be adopted very quickly. The reason is, in the event of another unprecedented crisis, organizations would want to ensure ‘business-as-usual’ to cause minimal business disruptions. The underlying theme of 2022 would revolve around creating business models that will survive in a ‘less-contact’ society. Amrinder Singh, Director, Bonn Group of Industries: It's been a fantastic year of change and recovery for both consumers and businesses. Consumers prioritised their safety while dealing with illness, job loss, lack of available products and services. Anticipating change and adapting for future challenges accordingly can help enterprises see around corners and plan effectively for the post-pandemic consumer. Businesses are riding on the pandemic-accelerated digital transformation wave and the trend is likely to continue. Around 80% of companies are allocating resources to improving their e-commerce and shopping platforms. This includes a full 60% investment in their digital direct-to-customer (DTC) channels. The digital shift also includes transforming internal capabilities and creating efficiencies with the help of technology. The future of retail will be omnichannel shopping or phygital retail. New technologies will continue to transform the retail sector with rapid change and innovation. Retail consumers will expect frictionless and tech-enabled experiences. As retailers and manufacturers embrace a direct-to-consumer model through e-commerce, traditional marketing channels will continue to blur. Satish NS, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Haier Appliances India: Today, hyper-personalization is inevitable for brands to get closer to their consumers. More than ever before, brands need to work on identifying and nurturing relevant cohorts for the business and reach out to them with tailored content that strikes an instant connection between the brand and its consumers. Since digital gives us the liberty to phenomenally reduce the distance between a brand and its customers, it’s important to create critical touchpoints along the consumer journey that will enable a more immersive brand experience with a 360-degree approach. Moreover, leveraging creative strategies on digital to deliver business impact will continue to become even more important in the coming years. Next year, we will also see an uptick in brands that will be experimenting big with performance marketing tools to help drive better ROI for the business. Manish Bandlish, Managing Director, Mother Dairy Fruit &amp; Vegetable Pvt. Ltd: The year 2021 was yet again a dynamic year however, the revival has been remarkable for us at Mother Dairy. Preparedness coupled with collaboration, resilience and agility played a vital role in the pandemic stressed quarter of this year, to ensure wellbeing of each and every employee as well as business continuity in order to serve our consumers. The year saw new products, markets and experiences, both for the business as well as the consumers. Despite the happenings, this year saw consistent supplies as varied channels such as e-commerce continued big-time. In addition, the consumption trend of consumers which began witnessing a change last year are persistent this year as well with in-home consumption and preference for packaged foods going strong.

Marketing trends to watch out for in 2022

<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5298b8ddeab8eaf318d2176c-768-524/586c902d3057fc52931982c21dcc95d5.jpg?maxX=800" border="0" alt="586c902d3057fc52931982c21dcc95d5" width="800" />Odd Andersen/AFP/FileA British police officer directs traffic in Grosvenor Square in <keyword id="6354968" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="London">London</keyword> on November 24, 2006</div></div>India's largest <keyword id="6354553" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="real-estate">real estate</keyword> developer Lodha Group said Friday it has bought Canada's embassy building in London's prime Mayfair district for around $530 million.
The seven-storey Canadian High Commission in Grosvenor Square, known as Macdonald House, will be converted into luxury residences for the super-rich, Indian media said.
"We will create a world-class development, which befits the status of the address," said Abhishek Lodha, managing director of Lodha Group.
The Lodha group was chosen as the buyer of the property by the Canadian government after a competitive bidding involving global developers and sovereign wealth funds, the Lodha group said.
The Indian firm is buying the property through internal funds and does not plan to raise debt to finance the deal, officials said.
In 2010, India's Sahara group had acquired the Grosvenor House hotel in London for around $750 million from the Royal Bank of Scotland.
In December last year, the Lodha group bought the US Consulate's Washington House property in Mumbai for $54 million.
The Lodha group is building what it claims is the world's tallest purely residential tower in Mumbai, called "World One", set to be completed in 2014.

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