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Hosted under the theme “Kainos: Where Vision Transforms Future”, the Asia ADR Week 2026 promises to bring together practitioners, arbitrators, mediators, academics, businesses and stakeholders from Malaysia, Asia and beyond to exchange perspectives on the developments shaping the future of dispute resolution.
At the Commercial Mediation Conclave 2026, curated and hosted by The PACT, a fireside chat brought together a mediator, a disputes lawyer, a court annexed mediator and trainer, and a government infrastructure executive to examine where trust in mediation actually resides, whether it is a matter for the mediator, the parties, their counsel or the institutions that administer the process, and whether that trust can be built, or rebuilt, once a dispute has already hardened into an adversarial contest. This session was held in partnership with Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.
In a fireside chat at the Commercial Mediation Conclave 2026, curated and hosted by The PACT, Justice (Retd.) Arjan Kumar Sikri discussed with Jonathan Rodrigues why med-arb clauses remain rare in commercial contracts, when a mediator can properly go on to act as arbitrator in the same dispute, and why the caucus session is the reason the two roles are usually kept apart.
At the Commercial Mediation Conclave India 2026, curated and hosted by The PACT, a roundtable of general counsel and mediation service providers set out, candidly, why mediation has yet to become the default route for resolving high-value commercial disputes in India, and what would have to change before it did. This session was held in collaboration with Obelisk Legal.
At the Commercial Mediation Conclave India 2026, curated and hosted by The PACT, a senior advocate, a public sector bank executive and a general counsel spoke candidly about what mediation actually looks like once lawyers and clients are inside the room, and about the practical, cultural and institutional obstacles that keep Indian commercial disputes from reaching it in the first place.
At the Commercial Mediation Conclave India 2026, curated and hosted by The PACT the launch of Mehak Oberoi’s book on construction mediation was followed by a fireside conversation in which two senior judges examined how mediators uncover the real interests behind a construction dispute, when mediation should begin, and what it takes to make a settlement hold.
At the Commercial Mediation Conclave India 2026, experts examined the evolving role of lawyers and law firms in promoting mediation, advising clients on when to pursue settlement, developing internal awareness and training, and ensuring that mediation is conducted through a structured and professional process.
At the Commercial Mediation Conclave India 2026, panellists discussed the need to position mediation as an early and flexible dispute-resolution mechanism, with emphasis on awareness, trust, mediator quality, institutional credibility and a balanced approach among stakeholders.
At the Commercial Mediation Conclave India 2026, practitioners and corporate legal professionals discussed how mediation can be strengthened in India through institutional mechanisms, internal dispute-resolution processes, professional mediators, greater awareness and a shift away from adversarial approaches.
Addressing the MCI: The Conclave by PACT & Poovayya, Sanjeev Ahuja, President, Indian Mediation Federation (IMF) said that “IMF is not here to compete with the courts or the government, but to complete the picture, close the loops, fill the gaps and connect the loose threads. Our vision is simple, but ambitious: To make Mediation the First Port of Call”
At the India Digital ADR Summit 2026, a panel of senior mediators and practitioners examined the implementation of the Mediation Act, 2023, focusing on institutional mediation, mediator accreditation, community and online mediation, and the changing role of lawyers in dispute resolution.
At the India Digital ADR Summit 2026, Justice Sonia Gokani discussed the evolution of mediation after the Mediation Act, 2023, highlighting institutionalisation, mediator training, accreditation, specialised panels, community mediation and the role of human governance alongside technology.
From ancient village panchayats and the Mahabharata to the Mediation Act, 2023 and modern commercial disputes, Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant outlined why mediation must become a central pillar of India’s justice delivery system and the Rule of Law.
A technical session at the ICA Conference on “Arbitrating Indo-UK Commercial Disputes” highlighted that while hybrid ADR frameworks are gaining traction, corporate users remain cautious about mediation’s role in high-value disputes, and arbitration, despite concerns of cost and complexity, continues to be the preferred mechanism for certainty and enforceability in Indo-UK commerce.
Day 2 of the seventh edition of AIAC’s Asia ADR week navigated crucial topics of discussion in the field of alternative dispute resolution, such as commercial mediation, arbitration reforms, disputes in E-sports, double hatting, and disclosures.
‘If you don’t want to go to litigation, the answer is mediation’, says Sudhanshu Trivedi.
About MNLU Maharashtra National Law University Mumbai, established under the Maharashtra National Law University Act 2014 on 20th March 2014,