The Indian Council of Arbitration (ICA) is organizing an insightful and engaging Symposium-cum-Roundtable Discussion on “Bridging Markets, Resolving Disputes via ADR in the India-Singapore Corridor” during the Singapore Convention Week 2025.
Date: 27 August 2025
Venue: Singapore (on the sidelines of Singapore Convention Week 2025)
Organized by: Indian Council of Arbitration (ICA)
Indian Council of Arbitration (ICA)
As India’s premier arbitral institution, ICA is committed to fostering a modern, rules-based, and internationally harmonized framework for commercial dispute resolution. This Symposium is aligned with ICA’s strategic mission to elevate India’s status as a trusted arbitration-friendly jurisdiction through cross-border engagement and institutional capacity-building.
Register Now: HERE
In case of queries feel free to write to us at conference.ica@ficci.com, or reach out at +91 99687 35131, +91 81304 03217
Background & Rationale
India and Singapore share a dynamic and strategically significant economic partnership, underpinned by deep-rooted cooperation across trade, investment, fintech, infrastructure, and legal frameworks. Singapore has consistently ranked among the top three sources of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India, accounting for nearly 23% of total FDI equity inflows in FY 2024, surpassing even the United States and Mauritius in several sectors.
This investment relationship is institutionally anchored through the India–Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and strengthened by multiple bilateral Memoranda of Understanding. Recent developments such as the linking of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Singapore’s PayNow system—reflect not just technical interoperability but growing economic integration.
With deeper cross-border financial, commercial, and digital engagement comes an inevitable rise in disputes—both commercial and regulatory. Globally, jurisdictions are grappling with an increase in investor–state claims, regulatory challenges, and enforcement issues, underscoring the need for credible, neutral, and efficient dispute resolution mechanisms.
Singapore’s emergence as a global ADR hub, combined with India’s growing ambition to develop a strong institutional arbitration ecosystem, presents a compelling opportunity for strategic collaboration. As Asia redefines its position in the global legal and economic order, strengthening the India–Singapore corridor through cooperation in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is both timely and essential.
Why This Dialogue is Timely
Singapore is home to globally reputed institutions like SIAC and SIMC, playing a leadership role in the ASEAN legal ecosystem.
India’s legal landscape is evolving, with courts and regulators increasingly recognising the value of ADR, particularly in regulated sectors such as finance and capital markets.
The Singapore Convention on Mediation (in force since 2020) offers an enforceable framework for mediated settlements, promoting efficiency and reducing legal costs.
As India attracts more institutional capital, investor confidence hinges on legal predictability, enforceability, and access to trusted neutral forums for dispute resolution.
Discussion Themes
This high-level symposium aims to foster focused dialogue on the following key themes:
Legal Alignment & Reform:
To what extent are India and Singapore harmonised in their treatment of cross-border commercial and investment disputes? What legal or regulatory reforms could facilitate convergence?Institutional & Regulatory Cooperation:
How can greater coordination between regulators, courts, and arbitral institutions improve the effectiveness and credibility of cross-border dispute resolution?Balancing Investor Protection & Sovereignty:
What mechanisms can ensure fair investor protection while safeguarding the sovereign right to regulate—especially in sensitive or emerging sectors?Institutional Innovation & Joint Mechanisms:
Can India and Singapore jointly explore the creation of shared arbitration/mediation panels, cross-recognition protocols, or cooperative dispute resolution platforms?Learning from Singapore’s ADR Ecosystem:
What institutional or procedural innovations from Singapore’s legal ecosystem can inform India’s efforts to strengthen its ADR framework?Regional & Global Positioning:
How can both countries leverage their institutional strengths to build a more influential, coherent, and Asia-centric legal architecture in the global dispute resolution landscape?