The first meeting of the India-Singapore Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), established under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in Law & Dispute Resolution, was held in Singapore today. This meeting was held under the co-chairmanship of Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Law and Justice (I/C), Government of India and Mr. Edwin Tong, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Government of Singapore.

Opening the discussions, Minister Edwin Tong noted that legal cooperation between India and Singapore has grown in step with economic engagement and strengthened further as the two nations mark 60 years of diplomatic relations this year. He pointed to the emerging role of flagship institutions such as the India International Arbitration Centre (IIAC) and Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) and Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) in shaping and enhancing this partnership. Stressing the importance of sustainability and forward-looking legal frameworks, he further noted the role of such frameworks in sustainable development, especially when India is poised to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2030. He further requested India to consider ratifying the Singapore Convention on Mediation, to which India was amongst the first countries to be the signatory.

 

In his opening address, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal highlighted that the MoU reflects the shared resolve of both nations to deepen institutional cooperation in the fields of arbitration and mediation. He noted that Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has become central to India’s legal reform journey, with steps such as timely amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, and the recent enactment of the Mediation Act, 2023. Recalling India’s cultural roots in mediation, he cited the Mahabharata where Lord Krishna acted as mediator, and said that with sustained reforms India is embedding efficiency, certainty and credibility into its dispute resolution systems. He also noted that India is steadily positioning itself as a global hub for arbitration with focus on establishing a network of credible arbitral institutions including the India International Arbitration Centre, an institution of national importance.

During the meeting, both sides then shared best practices from their jurisdictions in the areas of institutional arbitration, mediation and commercial dispute resolution through courts, followed by Q&A sessions.

The subject-specific discussions on the Indian side were led by Dr. Anju Rathi Rana, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice, who spoke about India’s transition from ad-hoc to institutional arbitration through legislative reforms and the establishment of the India International Arbitration Centre. She underlined India’s practical learnings in ADR, spotlighting the importance of capacity-building for all stakeholders in the area and the pivotal statutory framework created by the Mediation Act, 2023. Referring to the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 (amended in 2018), she noted its role in creating specialised courts, mandating pre-institution mediation, and enforcing strict timelines, thereby making commercial litigation more time-bound and investor-friendly. Dr. Rana affirmed that India’s reforms in these fields demonstrate its readiness to provide foreign investors with a credible and efficient dispute resolution framework.

On the Singapore side, the deliberations on institutional arbitration were led by Ms. Gloria Lim, CEO of SIAC, on mediation were led by Mr. Chuan Wee Meng, Chairman of SIMC; and on commercial courts by Ms. Crystal Tan, Registrar of SICC. Ms. Lim spoke of SIAC’s 30-year journey as a not-for-profit institution, its offices in Mumbai and GIFT City, and its growing caseload—625 new cases in 2024 involving parties from 72 jurisdictions. Mr. Meng apprised the delegates of SIMC’s growth, noting that it is now handling disputes valued at nearly eight billion US dollars from 68 countries, with parties from India, China and the US among the top users. He added that while commercial mediation is often chosen for smaller disputes, increasingly complex cases are also being referred to SIMC. Ms. Tan outlined SICC’s innovations, including an expedited nine-month track, case management conferences and a cost-effective summary procedure for smaller disputes.

The event concluded with closing remarks by the Hon’ble Ministers of both the countries, agreeing to take the discussions forward and strengthen cooperation in the arena of dispute resolution under the framework of the MoU. They emphasised mutual collaboration in the training of arbitrators, mediators, and the judiciary, and the adoption of best practices from each jurisdiction to strengthen the commercial dispute resolution ecosystem.

 

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Samrat/ Allen

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