Best Delhi International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) Cases Lawyer

The Delhi International Arbitration Centre, known as DIAC, is an arbitration institution set up under the aegis of the Delhi High Court. It administers arbitrations: it appoints arbitrators where needed, manages fee deposits, provides hearing rooms and staff, and keeps the case moving under its own rules. Many Delhi contracts name DIAC in their arbitration clause, and the Delhi High Court often refers Section 11 cases to DIAC for appointment of an arbitrator from its panel.

This page is for parties whose contracts have a DIAC clause, parties whose cases have been referred to DIAC by the High Court, and businesses deciding whether to name DIAC in future contracts. In plain terms, a DIAC arbitration works like any other, but with the centre's secretariat handling administration, a published fee schedule instead of open-ended fee negotiations, and arbitrators drawn from a vetted panel.

DIAC cases are governed by the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, and the DIAC (Arbitration Proceedings) Rules, 2023. Challenges to DIAC awards go to the Delhi courts in the same way as any Delhi-seated award.

Is this your situation?

How DIAC arbitration differs from ad hoc

Two ways a case reaches DIAC

A DIAC clause. If your contract says disputes will be referred to arbitration under the rules of the Delhi International Arbitration Centre, or "administered by DIAC", you start the case by filing a request for arbitration with DIAC, with a copy to the other side, and paying the registration fee. DIAC then calls on the parties to nominate arbitrators or proceeds to appoint under its rules. You do not normally need to go to the High Court under Section 11, because the institution has the power to appoint.

A court referral. In many Section 11 petitions, especially where the clause is ad hoc or one-sided, the Delhi High Court appoints an arbitrator and directs that the arbitration be conducted under DIAC's aegis, or refers the parties to DIAC to appoint from its panel. The order often states that fees will be as per DIAC's schedule. In such cases, DIAC's rules apply to the extent the court's order and the parties' agreement allow.

In both cases, the seat is usually Delhi, so the Delhi courts supervise the arbitration and hear challenges.

How a DIAC arbitration runs

Time and typical cost range

DIAC publishes its fee schedule, which sets arbitrators' fees and administrative charges by reference to the sum in dispute. Our fees are agreed in writing at the start, stage by stage, and are not linked to the outcome.

Documents for a DIAC case

Where DIAC-related matters go

Fees: why a schedule helps, and what it covers

One of the main reasons parties choose DIAC is cost certainty. In ad hoc arbitration, fee disputes with arbitrators are common, and the Supreme Court's decision in ONGC v Afcons Gunanusa (2024) shows how much litigation they can generate. At DIAC, arbitrators' fees are fixed under the centre's schedule according to the sum in dispute, with administrative charges payable to the centre. Counter-claims are generally added to the sum in dispute for fee purposes.

Fees are collected in instalments as deposits, so the arbitrators do not deal with the parties directly on money. If a party fails to pay its share, the other party can pay it and recover it in the award. If neither pays, the tribunal can suspend or terminate the proceedings.

DIAC's fees are often higher than a negotiated ad hoc fee for small cases, and lower or more predictable for large ones. For claims of a few lakh rupees, a fast-track or documents-only process, or a summary suit, may be more economical.

Choosing a DIAC arbitrator

DIAC's panel includes retired judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts and district courts, senior advocates, chartered accountants, engineers and other professionals. Parties can agree on a panel member. If they cannot, DIAC appoints. In three-member tribunals, each side nominates one and the two choose the presiding arbitrator, or DIAC appoints.

When choosing, look at experience with the type of dispute, availability, and any connection to either side. Ask for the arbitrator's disclosure under Section 12 and the Sixth Schedule before confirming. For construction cases, a retired engineer as co-arbitrator can help; for financial disputes, a retired judge with commercial experience may suit better.

DIAC's rules also allow parties to nominate arbitrators who are not on the panel, subject to the centre's approval and the arbitrator agreeing to its fee schedule. This gives flexibility where a specialist is needed.

Emergency relief at DIAC

The DIAC rules provide for an emergency arbitrator to be appointed quickly to decide urgent applications before the main tribunal is constituted. For India-seated arbitrations, the Supreme Court in Amazon v Future Retail (2021) held that an emergency arbitrator's order under institutional rules is enforceable as an order under Section 17(2) of the Act. So a DIAC emergency order can be enforced like a court order.

In practice, many parties still go to the Delhi courts under Section 9 for urgent relief, especially where third parties such as banks must be bound, or where the matter is extremely urgent. Both routes are available, and we advise on which suits the facts. See emergency arbitration.

Laws and rules that apply

How we work

We are a litigation and advisory practice led by Advocate BK Singh, with offices in Dwarka (New Delhi) and Vaishali (Ghaziabad), close to the Delhi courts. This is what you can expect:

• DIAC procedure handled: filings, deposits and timelines.
• Arbitrator selection advice: suited to your dispute.
• Court and centre together: Section 9, Section 11 and Section 34 work in Delhi courts.
• Cost planning: fee deposits estimated from the DIAC schedule at the start.
• Written fee terms: agreed stage by stage, never linked to the outcome.

Mistakes in DIAC cases

DIAC or another institution?

Parties in Delhi can choose between several institutions. DIAC is attached to the Delhi High Court and is used heavily for court-referred cases and domestic commercial disputes. The India International Arbitration Centre, set up under a 2019 Act of Parliament, is a national institution in New Delhi aimed at both domestic and international arbitration, and is often used by central PSUs. Foreign institutions such as SIAC and the ICC are used for cross-border contracts. Trade bodies such as the Indian Council of Arbitration serve particular sectors.

For a domestic contract between Delhi NCR businesses, DIAC is often a practical choice: the centre is in Delhi, the panel is large, and the fees are published. For international contracts with a foreign party who wants a more international institution, SIAC, ICC or IIAC may be easier to agree. The key point is to name one institution clearly in the clause, using its recommended model clause, so that there is no argument later about who administers the case.

Timelines and keeping a DIAC case on track

The Act's Section 29A requires a domestic award within 12 months of the completion of pleadings, extendable by six months by consent, and further only by the court. DIAC's rules add their own time frames for steps such as filing pleadings and constituting the tribunal, and the secretariat follows up with parties and arbitrators.

Even so, the pace of a DIAC case depends largely on the parties. Frequent adjournment requests, late filings and unnecessary applications slow everything down. Agreeing at the first meeting on a realistic timetable, with hearing dates blocked in advance, is the single best way to keep a case moving. If the 12-month period is running out, apply for an extension in good time; after Rohan Builders (2024), an application can be filed even after expiry, but it is better not to rely on that. As the Supreme Court held in Jagdeep Chowgule (2026), the extension application goes to the "Court" under Section 2(1)(e), which may be a district commercial court for smaller claims rather than the High Court.

Confidentiality and records

Under Section 42A of the Act, the arbitrator, the institution and the parties must keep all arbitral proceedings confidential, except the award where its disclosure is necessary for implementation and enforcement. DIAC maintains its records accordingly. This matters for businesses that do not want disputes with customers, suppliers or partners to become public.

Confidentiality has limits. If the award is challenged in court, the court record is generally public, though courts sometimes allow sensitive material to be filed in sealed covers. If you are concerned about confidentiality of particular documents, raise it with the tribunal early, so that protective directions can be made.