Digital land sales, young buyers and 20% CAGR: How Abhinandan Lodha is redefining India’s land investment playbook

What began as an unplanned experiment during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic has now evolved into one of India’s most closely watched real estate disruptions.

House of Abhinandan Lodha, founded in 2021, has managed to crack a problem that traditionally plagued India’s real estate market—how to sell land at scale, digitally, and to a new generation of investors without physical site visits.

According to Chairman Abhinandan Lodha, the shift was driven as much by circumstance as by strategy. The company’s first large land parcel was located over six hours away from Mumbai, making physical selling impractical during lockdowns. “There was simply no way we could sell it physically. That forced us to go fully digital,” Lodha said in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

The result surprised even the promoters. A 100-acre land parcel that the company expected to sell over six months was fully sold out in under four weeks, signalling strong latent demand for digitally enabled land investments.

A Younger, Loan-Free Land Buyer Emerges

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the buyers were not retirees or high-net-worth individuals seeking legacy assets. Lodha said the core buyer profile turned out to be significantly younger.

“The bulk of our buyers are in the 30–40 age group. Many are business owners, but salaried professionals form almost half the base. What is striking is that 90–92% of buyers do not take loans,” he said.

This behaviour, Lodha noted, reflects a fundamental shift in investment mindset. Land is viewed as a long-term asset, typically held for 15–20 years, and investors prefer not to pair it with short-term liabilities. The trend has remained consistent across locations such as Alibaug, Ayodhya and other emerging micro-markets.

Technology and Transparency as Trust Builders

Trust, often the biggest hurdle in land transactions, has been addressed through a combination of legal diligence and radical transparency. Every parcel sold by the company is vetted by two of India’s largest law firms, while ownership records, transaction prices and registration details are made available digitally to buyers.

Using immersive visualisation tools, including virtual reality, the company also allows buyers to experience what a raw land parcel will look like after development—effectively bringing a multi-year development vision into the buyer’s home.

“In large land parcels, it’s very hard for consumers to visualise the end product. Technology bridges that gap and materially improves decision-making,” Lodha said.

Land as a 20% CAGR Asset

Lodha remains unequivocal on land’s long-term investment potential. Drawing on decades of historical data, he said land in regions that transition from semi-urban to urban has delivered over 20% compounded annual growth over the last 50 years.

“The question is not whether you should buy land—the real question is where you buy and whom you buy it through,” he said.

While mature markets may continue to deliver returns, Lodha believes the biggest upside lies in regions that are at the cusp of growth rather than those that have already fully appreciated.

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48 Emerging Hotspots on the Radar

House of Abhinandan Lodha has identified nearly 47–48 locations across India where infrastructure investment, job creation and coordinated state and central government spending are driving economic growth above the national average.

Cities and regions such as Nagpur, Vrindavan and Alibaug feature prominently among these emerging corridors. “Twenty years down the line, land in these areas can generate tremendous returns,” Lodha said.

For retail investors, he emphasised the importance of due diligence—clear title, assured possession and a strong understanding of local planning norms remain non-negotiable.

Formalising a Traditionally Grey Market

Despite its historical appeal, land accounts for less than 5% of India’s overall real estate transactions, largely due to opaque practices and lack of quality supply. Lodha believes organised players and digital transparency can change that.

“Land has always been a desirable asset. The problem has been clean title and trust. If we can turn this sector from grey into black and white, participation will rise significantly,” he said.

As younger investors increasingly look beyond apartments and equities, digitally sold land—once considered niche—may be poised to become a mainstream long-term investment category.

Watch accompanying video for entire conversation.