The story so far: Nearly six years after the 2019 amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (1996 Act), the Union government is yet to constitute the Arbitration Council of India (ACI), envisaged as the central regulatory and promotional body for institutional arbitration. Concerns have also been raised about the ACI’s role in accrediting and grading arbitral institutions. The draft Bill seeks to give fresh impetus to institutional arbitration through a series of structural reforms. Srikrishna-headed report, the continued dominance of ad hoc arbitration in India is primarily attributable to a strong preference for procedural autonomy. This preference is further reinforced by persistent scepticism towards domestic arbitral institutions, particularly with respect to independence and administrative competence.

Source: The Hindu January 18, 2026 06:39 UTC