Commercial Mediation Conclave India 2026: Making Mediation Mainstream

The Commercial Mediation Conclave India 2026, hosted by The PACT as part of its MCI 2026 Mediation Weekend, is scheduled to be held on 18 September 2026 at the India International Centre, New Delhi. The Conclave, themed “Making Mediation Mainstream”, will examine the use and practice of mediation in commercial disputes, with discussions involving judges, senior advocates, private and institutional mediators, law firm practitioners, in-house legal professionals and other stakeholders in dispute resolution.

The Indian Mediation Federation (IMF) is the Chief Networking Partner of the Conclave, which aims to build a nationwide network of mediation professionals and businesses and advancing mediation through advocacy, awareness and collaboration.

The programme will feature discussions on mediation in commercial, construction, shareholder and family business disputes, Med-Arb clauses, enforcement issues and the role of lawyers and in-house legal teams in initiating mediation.

The programme will feature 10 sessions covering different aspects of commercial mediation, including mediation in commercial, construction, shareholder and family business disputes, Med-Arb clauses, enforcement challenges, and the role of law firms and in-house legal teams in initiating and conducting mediation.

The Conclave will feature fireside conversations with:

1. Justice (Retd.) Kurian Joseph, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India;

2. Justice (Retd.) A.K. Sikri, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India;

3. Justice (Retd.) Hima Kohli, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India;

4. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani, Judge, Delhi High Court; and

5. Justice (Retd.) Rekha Palli, Former Judge, Delhi High Court.

The programme will also feature addresses and discussions involving Senior Advocates:

1. Sajan Poovayya,

2. Nalin Kohli,

3. Dr Aman Hingorani,

4. Karuna Nundy and

5. Vipul Ganda.

The discussions are intended to examine mediation from the perspective of commercial dispute resolution, including its use in private and institutional settings. The programme will draw on case studies, practical experiences and data concerning the use of mediation in commercial disputes.

Focus on commercial mediation and institutional practice

The Conclave will also bring together participants from different parts of the dispute resolution ecosystem. Alongside private mediators and judges, the programme will include senior advocates, law firm disputes partners, institutional representatives, Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) practitioners, in-house legal teams and corporate leadership.

The sessions will address the use of mediation across different categories of commercial disputes. These include construction disputes, shareholder disputes and family business disputes, as well as questions concerning Med-Arb clauses and enforcement of mediated settlements.

The programme will also examine the role played by lawyers and in-house legal departments in identifying disputes suitable for mediation and initiating the process at an early stage.

Law firms, mediation institutions and ODR platforms to participate

The Conclave will feature sessions involving

1. Poovayya & Co.,

2. Indian Mediation Federation,

3. ConstructHER Legal,

4. Centre for Alternate Dispute Resolution Excellence (CADRE) ODR,

5. Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM),

6. Khaitan & Co.,

7. DSK Legal,

8. Hammurabi & Solomon Partners,

9. Samvad Partners,

10. Svarniti Law Offices,

11. Obelisk Legal,

12. The Mission Mediation Podcast and

13. Global Academy for Advocacy in Dispute Resolution (GAADR).

Poovayya & Co. is the Conclave Headline Partner, while the Indian Mediation Federation is the Chief Networking Partner, ConstructHER Legal Network the Chief Knowledge Partner and CADRE ODR the Dispute Resolution Partner.

Practitioners from leading law firms and mediation institutions

The programme will include

1. Anuradha Mukherjee, Partner and Head of Disputes, North, CAM;

2. Ankit Parhar, Partner, Poovayya & Co.;

3. Ekta Bahl, Mediator and Partner, Samvad Partners;

4. Dinesh Pardasani, Partner, DSK Legal;

5. Anil Tiwari, Partner, Hammurabi & Solomon;

6. Sahil Narang, Partner, Khaitan & Co.;

7. Amit Mishra, Partner, Svarniti Law Offices;

8. Mehak Oberoi, ConstructHER Legal Network;

9. Gracious Timothy, Partner, Obelisk Legal;

10. Rajneesh Jaswal, CEO, CADRE ODR; and

11. Sanjeev Ahuja, Mediator, Indian Mediation Federation.

The discussions will also include participants from government, public sector undertakings and corporate legal departments. These include

1. Avnit Singh Arora, Director, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice;

2. Ajit Kumar Mishra, Director, Works, Ircon International Ltd.;

3. Arjun Doshi, Head of Legal, RMRW Business, Adani;

4. Dr. Sanjeev Gemawat, Managing Director and General Counsel, Essar Group;

5. V.R. Shankar, Senior President and Chief Law Officer, Hindalco Industries Ltd.;

6. Dr. Neera Sharma, CEO, Sistema Smart Tech;

7. Manuj Sharma, Head Legal, APC, Turner & Townsend;

8. Rajiv Malik, Legal Leader, LG India;

9. Beena Vaheed, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda;

10. Dr. Mukul Shastry, GCC, Cube Highways Trust;

11. Ayush Goyal, Senior General Manager, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Kent RO Systems;

12. Avaneesh Singh, General Counsel, Navitas Life Sciences;

13. Ritu Aggarwal, General Counsel, Air India SATS;

14. Preet Sethi, Deputy General Counsel, Vedanta Group; and

15. Sandhya Yadav, General Manager and Chief Legal Services, ONGC Ltd.

SCC Times is the Information and Documentation Partner for the Conclave and will cover the sessions and discussions forming part of the programme.

With its focus on commercial mediation, the Conclave will bring together judicial, professional, institutional and corporate perspectives on the development of mediation practice in India, with particular attention to its use in commercial disputes and the role of private and institutional mediation.