National Initiative

Towards Strengthening
Arbitration and
Enforcement in India
OCTOBER 21ST TO 23RD, 2016

NEW DELHI, INDIA

International Commercial Arbitration as an alternative

tool for dispute resolution is fast gaining popularity not only
in India but globally since it offers the advantage of not
going to the regular courts and thus saving time/costs.
However, it is increasingly being observed that foreign
companies entering into business contracts with Indian
companies seem to prefer an international arbitral
institution for dispute resolution.

ABOUT the
conference

Clearly, there is an urgent need for India to improve not

only the dispute resolution process but also have a strong
in-country mechanism to ensure that India emerges as the
most preferred destination for Arbitration. This requires
that the process needs to be suitably strengthened within
our country by providing opportunities to professional
arbitrators to hone their skills and ensuring that adequate
infrastructural facilities are available. The legislature, at its
end, has initiated steps to develop a supportive environment
for arbitration by amending the Arbitration and
Conciliation Act, 1996 in 2015. Further, the Parliament has
also passed the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division
and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act,
2015 to fast track disposal of commercial disputes.
Taking a cue from the above developments, NITI Aayog is
organising a global conference on National Initiative
towards Strengthening Arbitration and Enforcement in
India to promote India as a global hub for arbitration
amongst international practitioners, corporate houses and
the Indian legal fraternity.

This conference aims to provide a platform to engage the Indian legal community with the broader international commercial arbitration
community especially the top-tier international arbitral institutions and all relevant stakeholders. We hope this initiative will serve as a
platform for discussion on critical issues, experience sharing on international best practices and charting a roadmap to strengthen arbitration
and its enforcement in the country.
This will ultimately feed into policy making for promoting international commercial arbitrations in India.

Date & Venue

Who Should
Attend

Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, 21st and 23rd October, 2016.

The conference will be an intensive brainstorming session.
Experts and practitioners/representatives from national and
international arbitration organizations, legal practitioners,
in-house
counsel,
industry
associations,
corporate
representatives, small and medium enterprises as well as legal
academia are welcome to attend the event.

For further information, contact:

Ms. Suparna Jain,
OSD Legal, NITI Aayog
ncai-niti@gov.in
+91-11-23096741

Themes and speakers

for panel discussions

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21 october, 2016
Inaugural session
5:30 - 05:35 P.M.
05:35-05:40 P.M.
05:40 - 05:50 P.M.
05:50-06:05 P.M.
06:05-06:20 P.M.
06:20-06:40 P.M.
06:40-06:45 P.M.
06:45 p.m.
7.30 p.m.

Welcome by Honble Mr. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Judge, Supreme Court of India and
Chairman, Advisory Committee
Opening Address by Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog
Address by Mr. Alexis Mourre, President, ICC
Keynote Address by Mr. Arun Jaitley, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister,
Government of India
Presidential Address by Honble Mr. Justice T.S. Thakur, Chief Justice of India and
Patron-in-Chief of the conference
Chief Guests Address by Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Honble President of India
Vote of Thanks by Mr. P. K. Malhotra, Member, Governing Council, ICADR
National Anthem
Dinner Hosted by NITI Aayog
Venue: Hotel Hyatt Regency, New Delhi
After Dinner Speaker - Mr. Fali S. Nariman, Senior Advocate

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22 october, 2016
sessions & speakers
09:00 - 09:30 A.M.
09:30 - 10:45 A.M.

Registration, coffee and tea

Panel I Theme: Setting up a World-Class Autonomous Arbitration Institution:
Looking Beyond Brick and Mortar
The session will focus on what goes into setting up a world-class arbitral institute.
It will include an interaction with persons who have had a prime role in placing their
arbitral institute on the world map. Speakers will discuss the structuring they
followed, the suitability for India, the state support received and the initiatives
undertaken to promote their institute.

Moderator
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER

Dr. Bibek Debroy, Member, NITI Aayog

Dr. Naushad Forbes*, President CII
Mr. Arun Chawla, Assistant Secretary General, FICCI
Prof. Datuk Sundra Rajoo, Director, KLRCA
Mr. Cavinder Bull, Director, Dispute Resolution, Drew & Napier LLC
Ms. Chiann Bao, Secretary General, HKIAC

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10:45 12:00 P.M.

Panel II Theme: India's Arbitration Act: The Good; The Not-So-Good

And The Unfinished Business
This session will essentially be a critique of the 1996 Arbitration Act and the 2015
Amendments there to. The session will also discuss possibilities for expedited dispute
resolution procedures for special users/groups.

Moderator
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER

Mr. K. K. Venugopal, Senior Advocate

Mr. Justice R.C. Lahoti, Former Chief Justice of India
Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Senior Advocate
Mr. Bharat Vasani, Chief Legal and Group GC ,Tata Sons Limited
Mr. Piyush Goyal*, Union Minister of State for Power, Coal, New & Renewable
Energy and Mines, Government of India
Mr. Ashok Lavasa, Secretary (Exp.), and Finance Secretary, Ministry of Finance,
Government of India
Prof. Mool Chand Sharma
Mr. Suresh Chandra, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law &
Justice, Government of India

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12:00 - 1:15 P.M.

Panel III Theme: Case Management of Arbitrations: Dos and Don'ts

The session will explore the best practices including dealing with errant respondents
and types of sanctions that could be deployed. The session will also explore the soft
laws of arbitration (the IBA Rules on Taking of Evidence in International
Arbitration and the IBA Guidelines on Conflict of Interest and others) including the
larger issue of the extent to which courts should give deference to these practices.

MODERATOR
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER

Mr. Justice S.S. Nijjar, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India

Ms. Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof (Jackie), Director General, LCIA
Ms. Rajinder Bassi, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
Mr. Abhinav Bhushan, Director, South Asia, ICC Arbitration & ADR, ICC
Mr. Darius J. Khambata, Senior Advocate
Mr. Vinayak Pradhan, Consultant, Messrs. Skrine Advocates & Solicitors

1:15 - 2:00 P.M.

Lunch hosted by NALSA

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2.00-3.15 P.M.

Panel IV Theme: Court Support for Arbitrations in its Three Stages: Before, During
and Post Rendering of the Arbitral Award
The role of the court differs at different stages. While non-intervention by courts is a
fundamental feature of the Indian Act, court support is vital in thwarting attempts to
stall the arbitration at various stages as well as during discovery, interim measures,
witness examination etc. In the challenge/enforcement stage the Indian court now
wears different hats (with differing standards for domestic and international
arbitrators). How this will work out in practice, and what is the right balance the
courts must strike in the interest of justice? The session will also explore conflict of
jurisdiction issues.

MODERATOR
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER

Honble Dr. Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri, Judge, Supreme Court of India
Honble Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Judge, Supreme Court of India
Mr. Justice R.V. Raveendran, former Judge, Supreme Court of India
Mr. Janak Dwarkadas, Senior Advocate
Ms. Sherina Petit, Board Member, LCIA
Mr. Arvind P. Datar, Senior Advocate

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3:15 - 4:30 P.M.

Panel V Theme: An Outsider's Perspective of Arbitrations in India

This session will primarily have international arbitrators (who have also sat in Indian
arbitrations) share their experience.

SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER

Honble Mr. Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, Judge, Supreme Court of India
Mr. Christopher K. Tahbaz, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton
Mr. Nish Shetty, Partner, Head, Litigation & Dispute Resolution (Asia-Pacific),
Clifford Chance
Mr. Benjamin Hughes, Associate Professor, Seoul National University Law School
Mr. Christopher To, Executive Director, Construction Industry Council
Prof. Douglas S Jones AO, Consultant, Clayton Utz

4.30-4.45 P.M

Tea

MODERATOR
SPEAKER
SPEAKER

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4:45-6:00 P.M.

Panel VI Theme: Experience Sharing

This session will largely have members from the user community i.e. corporate
leaders and senior government officials who have been in the thick of high level
disputes. They will share how arbitrations have worked for them as an ADR
mechanism and also if other ADR mechanisms have fared better and if not, why.
They will also share a lay perspective on their expectations from the courts, the State
and the arbitration tribunals.

MODERATOR
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
SPEAKER

Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal*, Chairman, ICC

Ms. Rohini Roy, Chief of Legal Operations, International Operations, BHEL
Dr. Raghupati Singhania*, Chairman and MD, JK Tyres
Mr. Harshavardhan Neotia, President, FICCI
Mr. Aditya Ghosh*, CEO, IndiGo Airlines
Mr. Raghav Chandra, Chairman, NHAI

7.30 p.m. Onwards

Dinner Hosted by Law Firms

After Dinner Speaker - Mr. J. William Rowley QC,
Chairman, LCIA Board

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october, 2016

09:30:10:45 A.M.

Panel VII Theme: The Future of International Arbitration

This session will essentially be a brainstorming of the international judiciary on
strengthening arbitration internationally focusing on India's role therein.
The session will help provide a blueprint for the steps that are critical in strengthening
arbitration and its enforcement in India and across the globe.

CHAIRMAN
SPEAKERS

Honble Mr. Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Judge, Supreme Court of India
Chief Justices from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Singapore

10:45-11:15 A.M.

Tea

3 valedictory session

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11:30 - 11:35 A.M.

11:35-11:40 A.M.
11:40 - 11:45 A.M.
11:45-11:55 A.M.
11:55-12:05 P.M.
12:05-12:55 P.M.
12:55-01:00 P.M.

01.00 P.M. Onwards

Welcome by Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog

Address by Mr. Mukul Rohatgi, Attorney General of India
Address by Honble Mr. Justice Anil R. Dave, Judge, Supreme Court of India
and Executive Chairman, NALSA
Address by Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Law Minister, Government of India
Presidential Address by Honble Mr. Justice T.S. Thakur, Chief Justice of India
Chief Guests Address by Mr. Narendra Modi, Honble Prime Minister of India
Vote of Thanks by Honble Mr. Justice Manmohan, Judge, Delhi High Court
and Chairman, Organising Committee
Lunch Hosted by NALSA

About
Delhi

Capital of the worlds largest democracy. A symbol of the

countrys rich past and thriving present, Delhi is a city
where ancient and modern blend seamlessly together. It is a
city that not only touches your pulse but also makes it beat
faster. Home to millions of dreams, the city takes on
unprecedented responsibilities of realizing dreams bringing
people closer and inspiring their thoughts. A vibrant city
with many flavours representing various regions of the
diverse country.
One can have a fascinating glimpse into the past in Old
Delhi, with its labyrinth of narrow lanes, old havelis, and
colourful bazaars. It is home to three World Heritage
monumentsQutub Minar, Red Fort and Humayuns
Tomb that have survived many centuries, and give an idea
of architectural wonders created by emperors in the past.
Delhi is close to many other heritage sites like Taj Mahal,
Agra Fort, Mathura etc. It is on the golden triangle tourist
circuit which attracts millions of tourists each year.
Central Delhi, with its tree-lined avenues, imposing
structures and buildings such as the Rashtrapati Bhavan,
Parliament House and India Gate, reflect Delhis colonial
past. A number of museums provide a glimpse into the
countrys fascinating history.
During October the temperature in Delhi ranges between
21C -33C.

Registration fee

Includes entry to all technical sessions, conference dinner on 21st and 22nd October,
2016 and lunch on 22nd and 23rd October 2016.

Travel and
accommodation

Travel and hotel expenses are not included in the registration fees. Participants are
responsible for making their own travel arrangements and hotel reservations.

Cancellations after payment are not refundable.

However, registration may be transferred to another person from the same company
or organization at no extra charge, provided that notice is sent by October 15, 2016.

Cancellation
charge

The organizers reserve the right to (1) postpone or change the timing and content of
the programme and venue at any time; or (2) cancel the event at any time and under
such circumstances, will refund the registration fee in full.

Shuttle
Bus service

NITI Aayog will be providing shuttle bus service from designated hotels to the
conference venue and dinner venue, and back.

Travel and
Visa details

Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements. Once the
foreign participants register, we will send the formal invitation letter and other
documents that will help in getting a visa. Participants are requested to apply for the
visa well in time.

Language

The conference working language will be English. Translators for a few languages
would be available.

Registration fee Structure

Invitees
International Delegates
Indian Delegates
Senior Lawyers

Fee
Early Bird (1 July- 15 September- US $500
Late Fee Applicants (After 16 September) - US $750
INR 25,000

(above 10 yrs of practice)

MSME and Junior Lawyers

INR 5,000

(below 10 years of practice)

Law Firm Representative

INR 10,000

(Per Delegate)

Industry Association

INR 10,000

(Per Delegate)

Corporate Delegate

INR 10,000

(Per Delegate)

Professor from Law Colleges

and Students

Complimentary

How to Register

Registration is accepted only through online application available

at http://arbitrationindia.in/registration/.

Travel Partner

M/s. Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., is our travel partner. For details regarding hotel
accommodation; local sight-seeing, spouse programmes, please click on the following linkhttps://tciconferences.eventsair.com/niti/hotels

For any assistance, please write to:

Mayuri Mishra
M: +91 9599332246
email id: mayuri.mishra@in.thomascook.com
Sumit Sharma
M: +91 9899544928
Email id: sumit.sharma@in.thomascook.com

ORGANISED
BY

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE

NITI Aayog

I N T E R N AT I O N A L C E N T R E F O R
A LT E R N AT I V E D I S P U T E R E S O L U T I O N

SUPPORTING
INDUSTRY
ASSOCIATIONS