How long does an arbitration take in India? The statutory timelines

Businesses often choose arbitration because they expect it to be faster than a civil suit. Since the 2015 and 2019 amendments, the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 backs that expectation with fixed timelines. Here is how a typical domestic arbitration runs.

Starting the arbitration

An arbitration begins on the date the other party receives a request to refer the dispute to arbitration, under Section 21. This date matters for limitation, so the notice should go out well before the limitation period ends.

Appointing the tribunal

If the contract sets out how arbitrators are to be appointed, the parties follow it. If the other side does not cooperate, either party can ask the High Court (or, in an international commercial arbitration, the Supreme Court) to appoint the arbitrator under Section 11.

Pleadings: six months

The statement of claim and the statement of defence are to be completed within six months of the arbitrators receiving written notice of their appointment, under Section 23(4).

The award: twelve months, plus six

In a domestic arbitration, the award must be made within twelve months from the completion of pleadings, under Section 29A. The parties can agree to extend this by up to six months. Any further extension can only be granted by the court, which may reduce the arbitrators' fees if the delay is attributable to them.

In an international commercial arbitration, the twelve-month period is a target the tribunal should try to meet rather than a strict limit.

Settling along the way

Parties can settle at any stage. If they do, the tribunal can record the settlement as an arbitral award on agreed terms under Section 30, which is enforceable like any other award.

Challenging the award

An application to set aside an award under Section 34 must be filed within three months of receiving it. The court can allow a further 30 days if there was sufficient cause, but no more.

Enforcement

Once the time for a challenge has passed, or a challenge fails, the award is enforced as if it were a decree of the court. Filing a challenge does not automatically stop enforcement: the court must grant a stay, often on conditions such as a deposit.

What may change

A draft Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill released for consultation in October 2024 proposes, among other things, statutory recognition of emergency arbitrators and tighter timelines for court appointments. As of mid-2026 it had not been passed, so the timelines above remain the law.