The Union Minister of Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal highlighted India’s rapid economic ascent and the critical role of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in supporting the country’s evolving business ecosystem while addressing during the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Annual India Conference 2025.
In his address, Shri Meghwal emphasized that India is now the fourth-largest economy in the world, progressing steadily toward the vision of becoming a developed nation (Viksit Bharat) by 2047. With the expansion of manufacturing, exports, digital governance, and cutting-edge technological sectors such as semiconductors and fintech, the scale and complexity of commercial disputes have increased significantly.
As India grows at unprecedented speed, the need for efficient, modern, and technology-enabled mechanisms to resolve disputes becomes essential. ADR today is not just beneficial, it is indispensable, he stated.
Singapore: A Key Strategic Legal and Economic Partner
Highlighting the strong bilateral relationship with Singapore, the Minister applauded Singapore’s continued role as a trusted partner in business, investment, and legal innovation.
- Over 9,000 companies operate collaboratively between India and Singapore.
- Bilateral trade expanded from USD 6.7 billion in FY 2004–05 to USD 54 billion in FY 2023–24.
- Singapore remains among India’s largest contributors of FDI, external commercial borrowings, and fintech innovation.
Calling the UPI–PayNow cross-border payments link a milestone, he noted it as a model of global digital financial cooperation.
Government Reforms Strengthening India’s ADR Ecosystem
Shri Meghwal outlined major legal policy reforms undertaken in the last decade to position India as a global arbitration hub:
- Amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996;
- Reduced judicial intervention;
- Time-bound and confidential processes;
- Global-standard arbitration framework;
- The Mediation Act, 2023;
- Creation of an institutional, voluntary, and enforceable mediation system;
- Support for pre-litigation dispute resolution;
- Commercial Courts reforms;
- Early dispute settlement frameworks;
- Mandatory pre-litigation mediation;
- Reduced burden on courts.
Technology-Driven Justice Transformation
He further highlighted India’s pioneering progress in digital justice delivery, including:
- e-Courts Mission Mode Project;
- National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG);
- Virtual hearings and digital case filing;
- LIMBS and other automated case-tracking systems.
These innovations are modernizing court access and making justice faster, transparent, and more efficient.
Concluding his remarks, Shri Meghwal reaffirmed India’s determination to emerge as a global centre for arbitration, mediation, and legal services.
A strong dispute resolution ecosystem will reinforce trust in India’s economic and governance framework. India, together with global partners like SIAC, is committed to building a future where dispute resolution is efficient, transparent, and globally benchmarked.