Parliament Question: Institutional arbitration and IIAC adoption

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 752 ANSWERED ON 5/02/2026 INSTITUTIONAL ARBITRATION AND IIAC ADOPTION 752 Shri Sujeet Kumar:

Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:

(a) the key initiatives undertaken to strengthen and promote institutional arbitration since June, 2025;

(b) the number of CPSEs/PSUs that adopted IIAC as their designated arbitral institution in financial year 2024-25; and

(c) the steps planned to ensure uniform application of the IIAC (Conduct of Arbitration) Regulations, 2023, across all new PSU contracts? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a) The Government of India has taken various initiatives to promote and strengthen Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms including institutional arbitration. To enable preferred recourse to institutional arbitration, the India International Arbitration Centre Act, 2019, has been enacted leading to the establishment of the India International Arbitration Centre thereby creating an independent and autonomous body for facilitating institutional arbitration. The Centre since its establishment, has conducted workshops, conferences and seminars relating to domestic and international arbitrations, for awareness and training and CPSEs/PSUs have participated in it.

In the month of June 2025, a conference was organised by the Department of Legal Affairs in collaboration with India International Arbitration Centre and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, a Central Public Sector Enterprise, to raise awareness about the benefits of institutional arbitration among Central Public Sector Enterprises. The Conference served as a dynamic platform for dialogue on institutional arbitration and the importance of adopting institutional arbitration under the aegis of India International Arbitration Centre.In September, 2025, India International Arbitration Centre hosted an Oxford-Style Debate at the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi on the topic of Institutional Arbitration and the debate witnessed compelling arguments led by eminent speakers. Following this, in the month of September 2025, a webinar on the theme Institutional Arbitration was also organised by the India International Arbitration Centre, in collaboration with Federation of Indian Exports Organisation which brought together the exporters to understand the importance of institutional arbitration in resolving commercial disputes.

India International Arbitration Centre has also launched the inaugural edition of its annual magazine, for dissemination of knowledge of law and procedures on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The magazine contains articles from amongst others, notable national and international arbitration practitioners.

(b) & (c) In the financial year 2024-25, certain Central Public Sector Enterprises being Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Gas Authority of India Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, have adopted India International Arbitration Centre as the designated arbitral institution in their dispute resolution clauses.

Further, India International Arbitration Centre continues to take steps and organize webinars and conferences for disseminating the advantages of adoption of India International Arbitration Centre model arbitration clause by parties including CPSEs/PSUs, for conduct of arbitration under the uniform and efficient procedure envisaged in the India International Arbitration Centre (Conduct of Arbitration), Regulations, 2023.

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