Speaking at the Mission Mediation Conclave 2025, the Attorney General emphasized a national mediation movement, recognition for mediators, and India’s leadership in promoting collaborative justice.
Delhi, 9th November 2025: The Mission Mediation Conclave 2025 today concluded successfully at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi, marking the grand finale of the 3rd Edition of the Mediation Championship India (MCI 2025). The event was graced by the Attorney General of India, R. Venkataramani, and brought together eminent jurists, senior advocates, and corporate leaders to celebrate India’s growing mediation movement. Organized by The PACT in partnership with Manav Rachna University, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, and the Prem Tara Foundation, the three-day event (November 7–9) aimed to advance mediation education and practice across India.
R. Venkataramani, Attorney General of India, said, “Mediation is not just a process; it is a powerful tool for national development and justice. We must move towards a national mediation movement, encouraging law schools and legal practitioners to embrace dialogue over adversarial conflict. Recognizing and honoring mediators is essential to strengthen the profession. With empathy, understanding, and dedication, mediation can reshape our legal system, and I truly hope to see India become the headquarters of an international mediation association, leading the world in promoting and practising this transformative approach. The active participation of students and the next generation of mediators is vital to sustain and multiply this vision.”
In his keynote address, Justice Kurian Joseph, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, said, “A mediator is a navigator — that’s what I truly believe. Earlier, we used to call it facilitation, but mediation today goes beyond that. You need to know what to speak and what not to. It’s not about structure or time, but about the sincerity and effort that bring people together in trust.”
“MCI 2025 celebrates India’s growing mediation movement. It is high time we let mediation breathe on its own and not bracket it with ADR,” said Jonathan Rodrigues, Mediator and Founder of The PACT. “MCI is more than a competition; it’s a mission to build India’s next generation of skilled mediation leaders who will embrace and practice collaborative justice.”
“At Manav Rachna University, mediation forms a core component of our legal studies framework. Through our Centre of Excellence in Mediation, students gain hands-on exposure to negotiation and conflict resolution,” said Prof. (Dr.) Asha Verma, Dean, School of Law, Manav Rachna University. “Hosting MCI 2025 reflects our commitment to experiential learning and our role in advancing structured mediation education.”
The championship concluded with the announcement of the National Mediation Champion, who received the prestigious Justice A. K. Sikri Scholarship Prize. MCI 2025 brought together some of India’s most promising student mediators and negotiators, challenging them across seven intensive rounds that simulated real-world mediation scenarios, from convening sessions to negotiating terms and drafting settlement agreements.
The Mediation Counsel Champions were Aayush Khanna and Kartikey Tripathi from RGNUL, while the title of Mediation Champion was awarded to Navya Pandey from RMLNLU.
After two days of training sessions and competitive rounds at Manav Rachna University, Faridabad, MCI 2025 culminated at the Mission Mediation Conclave 2025, a unique networking and deliberation forum hosted by The PACT, in partnership with Dua Associates and SAMVAD: Partners, on November 9 (Sunday) at the India International Centre from 9:30 AM to 4 PM. The Conclave was held in association with DSK Legal, Trilegal, Khaitan & Co., and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.
The Mission Mediation Conclave 2025 brought together an eminent gathering of jurists, senior advocates, and industry leaders, including Attorney General of India R. Venkataramani, Justice (Retd.) Kurian Joseph, Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal, Justice (Retd.) M. L. Mehta, and Justice Tejas Karia. Distinguished legal professionals and corporate figures such as Ganesh Chandru (Partner, Dua Associates), Ekta Bahl (Partner, SAMVAD Partners), Raj Panchmatia (Partner, Khaitan & Co.), Vikash Kumar Jha (Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas), Dinesh Pardasani (Partner, DSK Legal), Varuna Bhanrale (Partner, Trilegal), Lakshmanan Ramaiah (General Manager, Larsen & Toubro), Arjun Doshi (Head of Litigation, Adani Ports & SEZ), Tanu Mehta (Mediator and Advocate), and Veena Ralli (Mediator and Advocate) also addressed the gathering.
The championship received support from Maadhyam – International Council for Conflict Resolution, SettleWiseNow, Mediation Mantras, Association of Mediation Practitioners (AMP), CAMP Arbitration and Mediation Practice, Mediate.com, Asian School of Cyber Laws, and the Chambers of Senior Advocate Sriram Panchu.
About PACT:
The PACT is a pioneering mediation training and services firm in India. Born in Goa in 2015, and bolstered by experiences in Europe, Asia and North America, The PACT is headquartered in New Delhi. Having launched the campaign – #missionmediation – in the summer of 2015, The PACT has had the privilege of introducing mediation and conflict resolution skills to 17,000+ legal and business professionals in India. The PACT offers Mediation Advocacy Training, Conflict Coaching, Mediation Counsel Support and Neutral Evaluation support to clients across various sectors. The PACT is licensed by the International Mediation Institute (IMI) through its internationally recognised QAP to offer accreditation to mediation lawyers. The PACT has collaborated with Oakbridge Publishing to publish India’s first workbook on Mediation titled, ‘Mediation Simplified’.
About MREI:
Founded in 1997, Manav Rachna Educational Institutions (MREI) stand as a symbol of excellence in education, providing high-quality learning across diverse fields. With over 41,000 alumni, 135+ global academic collaborations, and 80+ Innovation & Incubation Entrepreneurial Ventures, MREI is home to premier institutions, including Manav Rachna University (MRU), Manav Rachna International Institute of Research & Studies (MRIIRS) – NAAC A++ Accredited, and Manav Rachna Dental College (under MRIIRS) – NABH Accredited. MREI also operates twelve schools nationwide, offering Indian and International curricula such as IB and Cambridge. MRIIRS is recognised in the QS World University Rankings 2026, in addition to holding QS 5-Star ratings for Teaching, Employability, Academic Development, Facilities, Social Responsibility, and Inclusiveness. In the QS Online MBA Rankings 2026, MRIIRS was placed in the 76–100 global band as a new entrant, ranked 1st globally for Class Experience, and 9th in the Asia-Pacific region. MRIIRS has entered the Top 100 Universities list in the NIRF Rankings 2025 with Rank 96 and was placed 33 in Dental Category.