The IIAC is India's statutory arbitral institution, established by Act of Parliament in 2019 and declared an institution of national importance. It replaced the ICADR and administers arbitration, mediation and conciliation.
The India International Arbitration Centre (IIAC) is the Government of India's flagship vehicle for making New Delhi an institutional-arbitration hub. It is high on ambition and statutory authority — and, so far, earlier in delivery than its mandate implies.
The IIAC was established by an Act of Parliament in 2019, renamed from the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre in 2022. It is a statutory autonomous body, declared an institution of national importance, based in New Delhi and chaired by a former Supreme Court judge.
Its creation had a direct consequence for an older body. The International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR), set up in 1995, was effectively superseded by the IIAC in 2019. ICADR is no longer the operating institution, and its history is often cited as a caution: statutory creation alone does not build an institution, and a government-established body that is under-utilised will eventually be replaced rather than reformed.
The IIAC administers domestic and international arbitration, along with mediation and conciliation. It operates under the IIAC (Conduct of Arbitration) Regulations 2023 and maintains a panel of arbitrators.
The IIAC's most distinctive contribution is the MSE Arbitration Regulations 2024, which create a dedicated arbitration route for micro and small enterprises. This is a genuine access-to-justice measure: institutional arbitration is normally priced well beyond what a small business can absorb, and a dedicated track addresses a gap that neither the courts nor the commercial institutions serve well. It complements the statutory conciliation and arbitration route available to MSMEs through the Facilitation Councils under the MSMED Act, 2006.
The IIAC's strengths are its statutory status, government backing, and explicit national hub mandate. Its limitations are that it remains nascent, public caseload data is limited, and implementation has lagged the ambition of its founding legislation. Private institutions — principally the MCIA — currently lead on demonstrated caseload and delivery speed.
For a party choosing an institution today, the practical question is track record rather than mandate. See the guide to drafting an arbitration clause for how to specify an institution, and the comparison of Indian institutions on this site for how they differ.
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Arbitration is a binding process where an arbitrator decides the dispute after hearing both sides, similar to a private court. Learn how it works, when it fits, and how awards are enforced in India.
Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process where a neutral third party helps disputing parties reach their own settlement. Learn how it works, when it applies, and what makes it binding.
Conciliation is a process where a neutral conciliator can actively propose settlement terms, unlike mediation. Learn how it works, when it applies, and how conciliated settlements are enforced under Indian law.
Qualifying micro and small suppliers may use the MSEFC statutory conciliation-arbitration route under the MSMED Act, 2006 for delayed-payment disputes.