Inside The World of Isprava And The Brothers Shaping A New Indian Luxury
Isprava founders Nibhrant and Dhimaan Shah are designing homes the way Indians live: surrounded by the people they love
Luxury, for brothers Nibhrant and Dhimaan Shah, wasn’t something they discovered—it was something they inherited, absorbed and ultimately refined into an art form. They grew up cocooned in quiet sophistication—the scent of polished teak, the patina of things that endure, the kind of upbringing where beauty wasn’t bought, it was instinct. That true luxury has less to do with marble veins or chandeliered excess, and everything to do with emotion, is something they learnt early on. So, when they founded the Isprava Group in 2016, it wasn’t to add another notch to India’s booming real estate scene—it was to articulate a feeling.
A language of living, if you will.
“When people ask us what kind of company we are, we always say we’re a luxury lifestyle company that happens to do a few things,” says Nibhrant, Managing Director and Co-CEO, while younger brother, Dhimaan, Executive Director and Co CEO, echoes the conviction: “We weren’t building a real estate or hospitality company. We were building a lifestyle brand. Architecture, community, design, service—it all had to come together from a pure luxury perspective.” From villas in Goa, Alibaug, Coonoor and Kasauli to the global constellation that is Lohono Stays—stretching across Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives—the Shah brothers have turned their family’s innate understanding of refinement into a new dialect of Indian luxury.
Meet them in person, and you’ll see why it all makes sense. The duo are the kind of men who wear linen like a second skin understated and impeccable. They finish each other’s sentences the way only siblings who’ve built empires together can.
And to build as brothers has been both, a privilege and a paradox. “The first advantage is blind trust,” says Nibhrant with obvious sincerity. “You know every decision is in the best interest of the business. We know exactly how each other thinks.” Dhimaan acknowledges the counterpoint: “The challenge is carving out space for formal debate. Informally, we’re always together. But in business, you need structured, ego-free debate. It takes effort, but it’s fun because you always have each other’s backs.” Their personalities diverge, often playfully. “We’re different,” Nibhrant laughs. “He’s more aggressive on some things, I’m more on others. Sometimes he’s the good cop, sometimes I am. It balances out."
From the very first project, the villas were conceived to converse with their surroundings. “True luxury isn’t glossy frills,” Dhimaan explains. “It’s about building sustainably, using indigenous products, working with local craftsmen, and then layering on services—24/7 concierge, in-house F&B, seamless technology. That’s what makes it luxury.” Nibhrant adds, “Every little detail matters because we work with creative collaborators across disciplines: stylists, jewellery designers, fashion designers. People with taste who leave behind fragments of magic.”
Their design philosophy is also rooted in intimacy, not ostentation. “We’re not building mausoleums of marble,” says Nibhrant. “We’re designing for how Indians actually live—with people they love.” Equally unorthodox is their notion of location: not prime urban postcodes jostling for space amongst a sea of concrete, but landscapes where lungs can expand and where silence carries as much weight as sound. But escape doesn’t mean exile. “Access is non-negotiable,” explains Dhimaan. “There has to be a good airport nearby because many of our clients fly private. And beyond that, a thriving social ecosystem: great restaurants, bars, galleries, hospitals. Once that’s in place, we find the best view.”
Trust, above all, has been their currency. “Fifty to sixty per cent of our clients come through referrals,” Dhimaan notes. “That’s when you know you’re doing something right. People don’t expect perfection... they expect that you’ll solve problems. That’s what earns loyalty.”
Isprava’s orbit has since expanded. There’s The Chapter, a luxury holiday home developer. There’s Lohono Stays, their hospitality arm. And most recently, there’s Solene—a private members’ club in Goa that captures their entire ethos in a single space. “It’s a community of 200 people bound not by profession, but by values. You’ll find everyone from artists to entrepreneurs to collectors—it’s not about status, it’s about shared sensibilities,” says Dhimaan.
For an entrepreneur, the chase is constant; always looking for the next milestone, never quite satisfied. “But we’re proud that we’ve built something real—a brand that can be ten times better with time,” says Nibhrant. The next decade, he predicts, will be about global luxury with Indian characteristics.
“Quiet luxury will matter here; service and experience as much as product. And homegrown Indian brands will go global, because India is so heterogeneous that if you’ve mastered this market, you’re already equipped for anywhere.” While they’re building toward luxury domination, fatherhood has introduced a gentler rhythm to their days. “Ninety-five per cent of our time outside work is with our kids—travelling, reading, playing sports,” says Dhimaan. “And when I can, I love playing tennis.”
Nibhrant nods. “For me, it’s horses, books, Goa, Alibaug—and family. That’s the good life.”
What began as two brothers’ vision is now a defining voice in Indian luxury, moored in kinship, values and forever designed for a deeper sense of belonging.
Credits
Property Photos: Hashim Badani (Estate De Alinthea, Villa Rosa) And Suleiman Merchant (Estate De Ophelia)
Words: Jeena J Billimoria
Photographs: Mustafa Khan