The legal fraternity touched a significant milestone with the inaugural ceremony of the Arbitration Bar of India (ABI) at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on 11th May 2024. The inaugural marked the birth of ABI, signalling a new era in India’s arbitration landscape. The event was attended by key figures such as the Hon’ble Attorney General for India Mr. R. Venkataramani, Hon’ble Solicitor General of India Mr. Tushar Mehta, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw and Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar.
The ABI President, Mr. Gourab Banerji commenced the ceremony by expressing his gratitude and recounting the transformative journey leading to the ABI’s establishment. He affirmed that the formation of ABI is not just for aiding and promoting arbitration across India but also to ensure that gender equality and regional diversity is maintained in the legal field by including women and practitioners from across India.
Mr. Banerji emphasized on the fast-paced development that has taken place over the span of the last 6 years at the legislative and infrastructural front, in the field of alternate dispute resolution. Mr. Banerji assured that the intention behind founding ABI is not to compete with other institutions but to complement them by providing them with human capital.
Mr. Banerji expressed his gratitude to the Honorary President of ABI Hon’ble Mr. Justice (Retd.) Hemant Gupta as well as to the other dignitaries for showing keen interest in the formation of the ABI and for gracing the occasion.
The Hon’ble Attorney General of India Mr. R. Venkataramani stressed on the need to elevate India’s arbitration presence internationally, advocating for a shift from uncertainty to self-determination. This according to him would go a long way in making India a global arbitration leader. He emphasized that ABI will not and cannot be a men’s exclusive club and further emphasized that it is essential to have women as the office bearers of ABI to ensure diversity and equality in the legal fraternity.
The Hon’ble Solicitor General of India Mr. Tushar Mehta, expressed that time is ripe for India to become a global hub for arbitration. Mr. Mehta asserted that although many countries are home to specialized bars, India need not learn from them as it is the place where the practice of alternate dispute resolution originated. Mr. Mehta further expressed that ABI is a means to ensure that India is preferred as a seat for arbitration for the resolution of major international disputes.
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, stated that over the past decade, the Indian economy has grown significantly and that ABI will aid in its further growth by allowing and offering speedy resolution of disputes. He envisioned a Unified Judicial Interface (UJI), similar to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), whereby justice seekers and justice providers can join virtually from across India to ensure just and fair adjudication.
Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, highlighted that launching of ABI is an initiative under the “Make in India” scheme. He further expressed that with India being a home to startups, it is only natural to focus on promoting and establishing a strong framework for alternate dispute resolution.
The Vice President of ABI, Mr. Tejas Karia Partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co., concluded the event by reiterating ABI’s commitment to excellence and community development.
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