Real estate developer Lodha Group has launched its maiden investment fund for start-ups focussed on smart-city solutions and the overall real estate sector.
With an initial investment corpus of ₹50 crore, the company will not only provide angel funding and venture capital, but also business opportunities, industry contacts and mentorship.
The fund will invest in start-ups at all stages of the development cycle, including early-stage ventures focussed on creating value in the real estate and smart city space in India.
Within real estate, the company will look at all aspects of the value chain, right from digital marketing to analytics and from Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to smart city services.
Launching the start-up fund, Abhishek Lodha, Managing Director, Lodha Group said: “Our fund’s philosophy is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three core campaigns — Start-up India, Housing for All and Demonetisation. Real estate sector is unarguably an important sector for India’s economy, being the second-largest employer in the country after agriculture. Our fund will address the prevailing inefficiencies in the sector with the use of technology and smart solutions.”
Lodha said the company has been working in a focussed manner to establish the platform over the past few months.
“Two-three business ideas have been already vetted and the first round of investments will be completed by March.”