Vinod Behl

DLF’s   Rajiv Singh- India’s  Richest Real Estate  Entrepreneur 

DLF Chairman Rajiv Singh hogged the limelight in 2025, by becoming the richest real estate entrepreneur with a wealth of INR INR 1.21 lakh crore. Rajiv Singh figured on top in the M3M HURUN India Rich List 2025 which featured the richest real estate entrepreneurs in India.  He was followed by Macrotech Developers’ M P Lodha and family, with a wealth of INR 93750 crore. Chandru Raheja of Raheja Corporation, Vikas Oberoi of Oberoi Realty and Basant Bansal of M3M also figured among top 5, with respective wealth of INR 49360 crore, INR 42960 crore and INR 41149 crore. The list was based on net worth proportionate to their ownership in their respective real estate businesses. 

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Shahrukh Khan’s L’Affaire With Property   

Bollywood mega star Shahrukh Khan’s penchant for property has earned him a place among the billionaire entrepreneurs. He made it to the prestigious M3M HURUN India Rich List 2025, with a staggering wealth of INR 12490 crore, bolstered, largely by his multiple investments in real estate., besides other investments. Shahrukh Khan has an expansive global real estate portfolio. Shahrukh’s Mumbai residence, Mannat, located in Bandra, is valued at over INR 200 crore. In addition, he owns luxury properties in global destinations.  He owns a luxury villa featuring 6 bedrooms and a private beach on Dubai’s prestigious Palm Jumeirah, reportedly valued at over INR 100 crore In Dubai, he also has a lavish apartment in the iconic Burj Khalifa. Among other global destinations, he also owns a plush villa in Beverly Hills, an apartment on Park Lane in London, besides a vacation retreat in England. In India, besides his Bandra, Mumbai house, he has residential properties in Delhi and Alibaug.. Shahrukh is also associated with Dubai’s leading developer Danube who recently launched a premium highrise commercial tower- Shahrukhz by Danube on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road, named after him.

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Lodha Brothers’ Trademark Feud      

The country’s leading real estate entrepreneurs – Abhishek Lodha and Abhinandan Lodha made headlines due to the INR 5000 crore title dispute over the trademark of the ‘Lodha’ name between the two brothers- Abhishek and Abhinandan in their respective   real estate businesses- Lodha Group and the House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL). Abhishek, CEO of Lodha Group had filed a suit in Mumbai High Court to restrain his sibling Abhinandan from using the ‘Lodha’ name in his businesses-HoABL and Lodha Ventures, claiming that the name,’Lodha’ was their trademark and no one else could use it. The three-month long dispute, primarily relating to the intellectual property rights on ‘Lodha’ and ‘Lodha Group’ brand name   was however resolved through meditation,on the directions of Mumbai High Court. Under the settlement, Abhishek’s Macrotech will continue to own the ‘Lodha’ and ‘Lodha Group’ brands with exclusive rights to use the same. Abhinandan remains the owner of HoABL brand name and will have the exclusive right to use the name. 

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Retail Repute 

Radha Krishan Damani, Founder of leading retail chain DMart was in the spotlight for making it to the top 10 Self Made Entrepreneurs of 2025. According to IDFC First Private and Hurun India Top 200 Self Made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia 2025 Report, Damani occupied second position, next to Eternal Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal, having a valuation of 297800 crore. India’s self-made entrepreneurs have a total business value of INR 42 lakh crore, up from 36 lakh crore last year. The report featured entrepreneurs across 51 cities with Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi, together accounting for more than half the list. 

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Architectural Honours

World renowned architecture firm CP Kukreja Architects won laurels by designing India’s first large-scale Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) hub in East Delhi, as one of the most ambitious urban redevelopment initiatives. The project represents a forward- looking model for integrated, high-density and sustainable urban growth in Delhi. Located beside the Karkardooma metro interchange, the TOD hub spans nearly 3.27 million sq ft of mixed-use development. Undertaken by the DDA, the project aims to redefine how people live, work and commute by placing public transport and accessibility at the heart of design. It is conceived as a prototype for a compact, connected and climate-conscious future for Indian Cities. At the Core, this TOD hub   is envisioned as a vertical neighbourhood, a complete urban ecosystem where residential, commercial, civic and recreational spaces exist within walking distance of one another. The design adopts a transit-first approach, organising buildings and activities around the metro interchange to encourage public transport use. The vertical massing liberates valuable ground area for landscaped plazas, shaded pedestrian boulevards and community gathering spaces, creating a balance between density and openness.

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Global Mark

 India origin, Dubai-based real estate baron, Rizwan Sajan created waves in the world of real estate by launching the world’s first commercial tower- ‘ Shahrukhz by Danube, named after a celebrity- Bollywood icon-Shah Rukh Khan. Located on the Sheikh Zayed Road, a key business district   of Dubai, it is a premium Grade A  56 storey commercial office tower with a built up area of over 1 million sq ft.The landmark development  valued at INR 5000 crore, includes more than 40 luxury  amenities such as business lounges, a sky pool, fitness centres, sports courts and a helipad for air taxis.The unique feature of this project is a life-size statue of Shah Rukh Khan in his iconic open-arms pose at the entrance , serving as a landmark. 

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Quiet Respite 

It was a gentle reprieve for Ramesh Chandra, founder of Unitech, NCR- based real estate developer as he got bail in a money-laundering case in early 2025.He was granted bail on account of advanced age and infirmities, falling under exceptions to the strict  bail conditions of the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA). The Enforecement Directorate (ED) case involves alleged diversion of funds amounting to about INR 5826 crore from homebuyers, with serious charges like cheating and conspiracy.

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Fallen From Grace

For Manoj Gaur, former Chairman and Managing Director of Jaypee Infratech, it was a moment of reckoning as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him based on financial and digital records as well as documents showing offences such including money laundering and diversion of funds. The arrest was made as part of ED investigations into the Jaypee Group after FIRs were registered by the department, economic offences wing. The homebuyers of Jaypee Group’s projects including Jaypee Wishtown and Jaypee Greens had filed complaints accusing Jaypee Infratech   and Jai Prakash Associates and its promoters of alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal breach of trust. As per the allegation, the companies and its promoters   collected money from homebuyers for construction and completion of projects but diverted elsewhere, defrauding the homebuyers. Significantly, in claims admitted by the National Company Law Tribunal (the companies formally headed by Gaur collected INR 145.9 billion and a significan portion of the amount was   diverted to related entities.

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Haunting Land Scam 

For the former chief minister of Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the dismissal of his petition by the Punjab and Haryana against the framing of charges in the multi-crore Manesar land scam, paving the way for the trial to commence against him before a special CBI court in Panchkula, came as a shocker. Hooda is accused of commiting offences under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC and various sections of the Prevention ofb Corruption Act for allegedly dropping land acquisition proceedings for private gain.  The main allegation involves the acquisition of hundreds of acres of land from farmers in Manesar and surrounding villages in Gurgaon for a low price under the guise of ‘public purpose’ . This land was then allegedly licensed to private real estate builders after granting out-of-turn favours and concessions. The alleged criminal conspiracy involving certain politicians, senior government functionaries and officers, reportedly caused a wrongful loss of about INR 1500 crore to the landowners