Piramal, Ivanhoe Cambridge to invest ₹500 crore in Lodha's Mumbai township

Bengaluru:Two years after Piramal Enterprises Ltd (PEL) and Ivanhoé Cambridge, a real estate subsidiary of Canada’s second largest pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) entered into a strategic partnership, the duo on Tuesday announced its first transaction with an investment of ₹500 crore in the Lodha Group’s township project, Palava, in suburban Mumbai.

The investment will be made from the Piramal Ivanhoe Residential Equity Fund.

In February 2017, PEL had announced a strategic co-investment fund with Ivanhoé Cambridge to provide long-term equity capital to good quality residential developers in Mumbai, Bengaluru, the National Capital Region (NCR), Pune and Chennai. Ivanhoé Cambridge had allocated an initial $250 million towards this fund.

“…We believe that the timing is opportune for the provision of equity capital over a longer time horizon and facilitate participation in larger projects with the ability to generate returns across real estate cycles. We are committed to supporting the demand for equity from blue-chip real estate developers as they increasingly leverage investor partnerships in the early stages of the development," said Khushru Jijina, Managing Director, Piramal Capital & Housing Finance Ltd, in a statement.

Rita-Rose Gagné, President, Growth Markets, Ivanhoé Cambridge, said,“We are pleased to be investing in Palava City, a project we believe is a game-changer for mixed-use residential communities in India. As investors, we understand how our capital can play an important role in developing sustainable and modern places to live, work, play and more, in major cities around the world. We look forward to a successful project and more to come."

Abhishek Lodha, Managing Director, Lodha Group, said, “..The current investment is testament to our proven track record in the affordable housing segment and our vision for developing Palava as one of the 50 most livable cities in the world."

Palava City is an integrated smart city near Mumbai, with over 4,500 acres of land being developed across different phases.

In 2016, Piramal Fund Management Pvt. Ltd said it will invest ₹2,320 crore in Lodha's signature World Towers project in central Mumbai, in one of the largest debt financing deals in Indian real estate.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.