The Gujarat High Court Arbitration Centre (Domestic & International) (GHAC), in collaboration with the Gujarat High Court, is set to organise GHAC Arbitration Week 2026, a three-day programme dedicated to strengthening Gujarat’s institutional arbitration ecosystem and promoting the State as a leading destination for efficient, credible and institutionally driven dispute resolution.
The three-day programme will be held from 4 September to 6 September 2026 at the prestigious GIFT City Club, Gandhinagar, under the overarching theme “Building Gujarat’s Institutional Arbitration Ecosystem”. A distinguished Opening Ceremony will precede the programme on 3 September 2026.
The programme is envisaged as a significant platform for dialogue, professional engagement and knowledge exchange among the judiciary, legal profession, business and industry community, arbitrators and arbitral institutions.
Background and rationale
With Gujarat emerging as a major centre for commerce, industry, infrastructure and international business, the availability of reliable and efficient dispute-resolution mechanisms is of increasing importance. Institutional arbitration can play a significant role in providing parties with a structured, predictable, and cost-effective mechanism for resolving commercial disputes.
GHAC Arbitration Week 2026 seeks to contribute to this objective by bringing together key stakeholders of the arbitration ecosystem and facilitating meaningful discussions on contemporary developments, institutional best practices and the future of domestic and international arbitration.
The event is intended not merely as a professional conference, but as a broader initiative to increase awareness and adoption of institutional arbitration and to foster greater confidence in institutional dispute resolution in Gujarat.
Theme of the Programme
The central theme of GHAC Arbitration Week 2026 is “Building Gujarat’s Institutional Arbitration Ecosystem”
The theme reflects GHAC’s objective of creating a coordinated and sustainable arbitration ecosystem through greater interaction between the principal stakeholders involved in dispute resolution.
Three Days. Three Stakeholders. One Vision
The programme is structured around the participation of three key stakeholder groups:
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The Bar: Practicing advocates, legal professionals and arbitration practitioners.
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Business, Industry & Law Firms: Law Firms, Law officers, in-house counsel, legal advisers of PSUs, industrial units and business associations.
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The Arbitral & Institutional Community: Arbitrators, arbitral institutions and professionals engaged in domestic and international dispute resolution.
The interaction among these groups is expected to encourage greater understanding of institutional arbitration and promote a shared vision for a more accessible, efficient, transparent, and effective dispute-resolution framework.
Vision and mission of GHAC
The event is aligned with the vision of GHAC to be a premier arbitral institution delivering efficient, efficacious and cost-effective dispute resolution while fostering harmony in business and human relationships.
GHAC’s mission is to establish itself as a premier institution for domestic and international arbitration by providing impartial, efficient, and cost-effective mechanisms of dispute resolution. The Centre seeks to uphold the rule of law and principles of fairness, embrace innovation and technology to facilitate access to justice, and nurture harmony in commercial and personal relationships through a culture of trust, integrity and justice.
Patron-in-Chief and Board of Governors, GHAC
Justice Sunita Agarwal, Patron-in-Chief, GHAC with Board of Governors, GHAC
GHAC functions under the Arbitration Centre (Domestic and International), High Court of Gujarat Rules, 2021, framed and notified by the High Court of Gujarat. The Chief Justice of the High Court of Gujarat is the Patron-in-Chief of the Centre and it is operated under the guidance of a Board of Governors comprising three Senior most Sitting Judges of the High Court of Gujarat. There is Directorate with a full-time Director, a Senior Judicial Officer in the rank of District Judge assisted by Deputy Director with supporting staffs. It ensures secure and transparent operations, provides complete assistance for smooth functioning of the arbitral proceeding.
Opening ceremony
A distinguished Opening Ceremony will be held on 3 September 2026, preceding the three-day programme.
The Opening Ceremony is expected to bring together eminent constitutional authorities, Judges of the Supreme Court of India, senior representatives of the Government of Gujarat and leading members of the legal and arbitration community.
The distinguished Guests of Honour include:
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Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister, State of Gujarat
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Justice P. S. Narasimha, Judge, Supreme Court of India
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Justice K. V. Viswanathan, Judge, Supreme Court of India
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Justice N. V. Anjaria, Judge, Supreme Court of India
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Justice Vipul M. Pancholi, Judge, Supreme Court of India
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Shri Harsh Sanghavi, Deputy Chief Minister and Cabinet Minister for Law & Justice, State of Gujarat
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Shri Kaushik Vekariya, Minister of State for Law & Justice, State of Gujarat
Proposed Programme focus
Following the distinguished Opening Ceremony on 3 September 2026, the main three-day programme will commence from 4 September to 6 September 2026. The programme will feature a comprehensive series of keynote session, expert-led discussions, panel deliberations and interactive engagements dedicated to contemporary issues and emerging developments in domestic and international arbitration.
The three-day programme will bring together an eminent gathering of Judges, members of the Bar, business and industry community, arbitrators and representatives of arbitral institutions. The sessions are designed to facilitate meaningful dialogue, practical knowledge exchange, and the sharing of institutional best practices, rather than being limited to academic deliberations.
On Day 1, the keynote address will be delivered by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India. The Guest Speaker address will be delivered by Vijaya Kumar Rajah SC, Former Judge of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Singapore; Former Attorney General of Singapore; and Vice President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
On Day 2, the Guest Speaker Address will be delivered by Justice L. Nageswara Rao, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India.
Through these sessions, participants will have the opportunity to explore current challenges, emerging trends and future directions in arbitration, while engaging directly with leading practitioners and experts from the field.
Valedictory session
The three-day programme will conclude with a thought-provoking valedictory address by R. Venkataramani, Attorney General for India. The address will focus on the timely and consequential theme: “What Changes Must India Bring into the Arbitration Regime?”
The valedictory address is expected to provide an opportunity to reflect upon the developments, challenges and future direction of arbitration in India and to consider the reforms necessary to strengthen the country’s arbitration framework.
Looking ahead: Strengthening Gujarat’s Arbitration ecosystem
GHAC Arbitration Week 2026 is envisaged as an important milestone in the development of Gujarat’s institutional arbitration landscape. By bringing together the judiciary, legal profession, business and industry community, arbitrators and arbitral institutions, the programme seeks to create a collaborative environment for advancing the use of institutional arbitration.
The initiative assumes particular significance in the context of Gujarat’s growing role in domestic commerce, industrial development, and international business. A strong and credible institutional arbitration framework can contribute to greater certainty, efficiency, and confidence in commercial dispute resolution.
GHAC Arbitration Week 2026 represents a collective effort towards building a stronger and more effective institutional arbitration ecosystem in Gujarat.
Through three days of professional engagement, knowledge exchange and stakeholder interaction, the programme aims to advance a common vision of dispute resolution that is speedy, efficient, fair, accessible, transparent, and cost-effective.
The event is expected to serve as an important platform for strengthening institutional arbitration practices, encouraging greater participation from the business and legal communities, and positioning Gujarat as an important centre for domestic and international dispute resolution.
Ultimately, GHAC Arbitration Week 2026 seeks to transform the vision of a robust institutional arbitration ecosystem in Gujarat into a sustained professional and institutional reality.
For more details, please refer to the Flyer here.
