Bachchan sale, RERA row, Apple store & office leasing moves

Abhishek Bachchan duplex sale, RERA remarks, Apple Mumbai store, Ola office exit, Smartworks lease and BMC e-auctions shape real estate.

1. Abhishek Bachchan Sells Mahalaxmi Luxury Duplex for ₹14.5 Cr

• The duplex lies in Godrej Planet, spanning the 40th–41st floors of Tower 4

• The unit measures 2,249 sq ft carpet area at ~₹64,473 per sq ft

• Buyers are Bain Capital PE partner Rishi Mandawat and Smita Mehta

• The project has 300+ apartments across five towers in Mahalaxmi

2. Supreme Court Questions RERA Relevance

• Bench led by CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi criticised RERA authorities

• The Court said authorities appear to benefit defaulting builders

• States were urged to revisit the purpose and relevance of RERA

• Remarks arose during a Himachal RERA office relocation case

3. Property Registrations Fall 8% in January 2026

• Registrations declined to 11,219 units in January 2026

• Homes under 1,000 sq ft dominated 83% of activity

• Share of homes priced ₹1–2 cr rose from 30% to 33%

• Stamp duty collections still increased 2% to ₹1,012 cr

4. Ola Gives Up 1.7 Lakh Sq Ft Office Space

• The exit includes 1.12 lakh sq ft at Prestige RMZ Star Tech, Koramangala

• Ola also vacated ~60,000 sq ft at Infozone, Electronic City

• The facilities were leased between 2021 and 2023

• The Electronic City site housed Ola’s battery innovation centre

5. Apple to Open Second Mumbai Store in Borivali

• The outlet opens Feb 26 at Sky City Mall, Borivali

• Apple leased 12,616 sq ft retail space for ~₹17 lakh monthly rent

• The lease tenure spans 130 months with 15% escalation

• It will be Apple’s sixth retail store in India

6. ED Arrests Ex-Lodha Director in ₹85 Cr Case

• ED arrested Rajendra Lodha in a money-laundering probe

• Allegations include benami deals and fund siphoning

• He had been in judicial custody since September arrest

• Authorities claim fraudulent flat allotments and land misuse

7. Smartworks Leases 1.8 Lakh Sq Ft Office in Andheri

• The space lies at The Square, Andheri East

• The lease lifts Smartworks’ Mumbai portfolio to 2 mn sq ft

• The project was developed by Lloyds Realty Developers

• The location offers access to MIDC and Mumbai airport

8. Sunil Gavaskar Named Agami Realty Brand Ambassador

• Agami Realty appointed Gavaskar ahead of Mumbai expansion

• The developer has delivered 25+ projects in the MMR region

• The announcement came on Feb 9 amid premium housing push

• Realty firms increasingly onboard celebrities for branding

9. Mark Zuckerberg to Buy $150 Mn Miami Mansion

• The mansion sits in Indian Creek “Billionaire’s Bunker”

• The gated island houses global billionaires and celebrities

• The property features dock, pool and water-front terraces

• The seller links to Jersey Mike’s founder Peter Cancro

10. BMC to E-Auction Six Properties Over ₹455 Cr Dues

• Assets include Goregaon hotel, Bandra shops and Parel plot

• Tax arrears also involve Fort properties worth ₹34 cr combined

• Other sites include Dahisar, Mazgaon and Malad properties

• BMC targets ₹6,200 cr property tax in FY26

Conclusion

This week’s real estate activity reflected a mix of high-profile transactions, regulatory scrutiny and evolving occupier trends. While celebrity-linked deals such as Abhishek Bachchan’s Mahalaxmi duplex sale and global luxury buying signalled sustained demand for premium homes, policy debates around RERA and enforcement actions in developer fraud cases highlighted governance challenges. At the same time, corporate occupiers reshaped office footprints—from Ola’s space exits to Smartworks’ expansion—while retail and civic moves like Apple’s new Mumbai store and BMC e-auctions underscored continued churn across India’s urban real estate landscape.