The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC), Hyderabad on 4 November 2026 to strengthen professional training and joint research in arbitration, mediation and corporate affairs. The pact will create structured courses, workshops and policy studies to build a pool of trained arbitrators and mediators. It places special focus on mediation for micro, small and medium enterprises and on improving ease of doing business under the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision.
What Did the IICA IAMC MoU Decide?
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs announced the MoU on 4 November 2026. The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs signed the pact with IAMC Hyderabad to deepen institutional collaboration and promote professional excellence in arbitration, mediation, corporate affairs and related areas.
IICA Director General and Chief Executive Officer Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh and IAMC Chief Executive Officer and Registrar A. J. Jawad attended the signing. The MoU was formally executed by IICA Chief Administrative Officer Col. Amandeep Singh Puri and Jawad. The signing was organised by IICA’s Centre of Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution (CEADR) under the guidance of Prof. Naveen Sirohi, Head of the School of Finance and Management and CEADR.
The MoU focuses on four work areas. The partners will develop customised short term and long term courses, workshops, seminars and skill development programmes. They will build structured programmes for training arbitrators, mediators and dispute resolution professionals. They will take up joint initiatives and policy oriented research to strengthen India’s alternative dispute resolution ecosystem. They will also promote best practices, professional standards and innovation in dispute resolution training and institutional development.
Singh linked the partnership to the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision of a developed India by 2047. Jawad said IAMC will use the combined expertise and resources of both institutions to expand training and research. Sirohi said such institutional partnerships support knowledge exchange and collaborative action.
What Is the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs?
The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. It works as a national think tank, research body and training institute for corporate regulation, governance and sustainable business. It supports the central government, regulators and companies through policy research, capacity building and advisory services.
IICA is a government body, not a private institute. It was registered as a society on 12 September 2008 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The Planning Commission had approved the proposal in February 2007 with budget support for setting up a world class institution on corporate affairs. IICA has operated from its campus at IMT Manesar in Gurugram, Haryana since 13 April 2012.
The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs is the President of IICA. The Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs chairs its Board of Governors. IICA brings together government, regulators and industry on a common platform. Its mandate covers corporate governance, competition, insolvency, investor education and regulatory frameworks.
A key arm for this MoU is the Centre of Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution. CEADR conducts action research, consultancy and training in arbitration and mediation. It runs the IICA Certified Arbitration Program and the IICA Certified Mediator Program to create qualified arbitration professionals and mediators. It also maintains links with the Independent Directors Databank and other capacity building work of IICA.
What Is the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre Hyderabad?
The International Arbitration and Mediation Centre Hyderabad is an institutional arbitration and mediation centre based in Hyderabad, Telangana. It is an autonomous institution set up with the support of the Government of Telangana and the High Court of Telangana. It provides administered arbitration, mediation and conciliation services to domestic and foreign users.
IAMC Hyderabad was created as a public charitable trust. The IAMC Trust was authored by then Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana through a trust deed dated 20 August 2021. The Government of Telangana signed a separate memorandum with the Trust in October 2021. The centre was inaugurated on 18 December 2021 in the financial district of Hyderabad.
The centre currently functions from about 16,000 square feet at V. K. Towers in Gachibowli. The facility has four arbitration hearing rooms, two mediation rooms, break out rooms and video conferencing support for online and hybrid hearings. The foundation for a permanent four acre complex at Puppalaguda was laid on 12 March 2022.
IAMC works to reduce pressure on courts by offering time bound and expert led dispute settlement outside routine litigation. It offers institutional rules, case management, hearing facilities and panels of national and international arbitrators and mediators. It has built global links, including cooperation frameworks with the Asian International Arbitration Centre and the Dubai International Arbitration Centre, to share training, facilities and best practices.
Why Mediation Matters for MSMEs and Ease of Doing Business
Micro, small and medium enterprises often suffer the most from slow dispute settlement. A delayed payment or a broken supply contract can block working capital for months. Long court cases add legal cost and uncertainty. For small firms, such delays can threaten survival.
Mediation offers a faster and less costly path. Mediation is a voluntary process in which parties try to reach an agreed settlement with the help of a neutral third person called a mediator. The mediator does not impose a decision. This helps preserve business relations, which matters greatly for small suppliers and buyers who must work together again.
IICA Director General Singh stressed this link between mediation and economic growth. MSMEs contribute a large share of output, exports and jobs, so quick resolution of their commercial disputes supports GDP and trade. The MoU therefore plans a deeper sectoral focus to widen access to mediation for businesses.
Singh also linked dispute resolution to investment and regional growth. He said Haryana’s aim of becoming a trillion dollar economy by 2047 will need investor confidence, and confidence grows when contracts can be enforced quickly through trusted arbitration and mediation centres. Strong alternative dispute resolution thus directly supports ease of doing business and the Viksit Bharat@2047 goal.
How Arbitration and Mediation Work Under Indian Law?
India uses two separate laws for the two main forms of dispute settlement outside courts. Arbitration is governed by the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Mediation is now governed by the Mediation Act, 2023. The IICA IAMC partnership sits within this legal shift toward institutional and time bound resolution.
The Arbitration and Conciliation Act was enacted on 16 August 1996. It is based on the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration, 1985 adopted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. The law covers domestic arbitration, international commercial arbitration where at least one party is foreign, and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. It also contains provisions on conciliation.
In arbitration, parties agree in advance to refer disputes to one or more arbitrators. The arbitral tribunal hears both sides and gives an award. The award is binding and can be enforced like a court decree, subject to limited challenge before courts. India is moving from ad hoc arbitration, where parties manage the process themselves, to institutional arbitration, where a centre like IAMC provides rules, case management, hearing facilities and scrutiny of process.
The Mediation Act received presidential assent on 14 September 2023. Parts of the law came into force on 9 October 2023. Mediation under the law is a voluntary process to reach an amicable settlement with the help of a mediator. The law recognises pre litigation mediation, online mediation and international mediation involving a foreign party. A settlement reached and signed in mediation is called a mediated settlement agreement and is enforceable by law.
The Mediation Act creates the Mediation Council of India under Section 31. The central government formally established the Council by notification on 27 August 2026, with its head office in Delhi. The Council will lay down guidelines for training, certification and assessment of mediators, recognise mediation institutes and service providers, set ethical standards and maintain an electronic depository of mediated settlements made in India.
The table below captures the core difference between the two processes.
| Feature | Arbitration | Mediation |
|---|---|---|
| Role of third person | Arbitrator hears evidence and gives a decision | Mediator helps parties reach their own agreement |
| Outcome | Arbitral award, binding and enforceable | Mediated settlement agreement, enforceable when signed |
| Control over result | Tribunal decides, parties must accept within the law | Parties decide, no settlement without their consent |
| Best suited for | High value commercial disputes needing a final ruling | Ongoing business relations, MSME and supply disputes needing quick compromise |
Key Takeaways
- The IICA IAMC MoU was announced on 4 November 2026 to strengthen training and research in arbitration, mediation and corporate affairs.
- IICA is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, registered in 2008 and based at Manesar, Haryana.
- IAMC Hyderabad is an autonomous centre supported by the Government of Telangana and the High Court of Telangana, inaugurated on 18 December 2021.
- The pact prioritises mediation for MSMEs to cut cost and delay and support ease of doing business under Viksit Bharat@2047.
- India governs arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 and mediation under the Mediation Act, 2023, with the Mediation Council of India established in August 2026.
