SIAC India Conference 2026 | In keynote address, CJI Surya Kant identifies four critical challenges shaping the future of international arbitration

At SIAC’s 2026 India Conference, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant delivered a keynote on "International Arbitration: Navigating New Realities and Stress‑Testing the Fundamentals." He identified four key challenges. First, arbitration is increasingly resembling litigation due to lengthy hearings, extensive document production, and delays, calling for disciplined use of existing procedural tools rather than further reforms. Second, artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and risks; he advocated disclosure of AI‑generated evidence, standardized verification protocols, and responsible adoption where efficiency improves. Third, confidentiality must be balanced with accountability, especially in investor‑State, infrastructure, and public‑interest disputes, suggesting greater transparency in appropriate cases while preserving commercial confidentiality. Fourth, inconsistency in arbitral decisions undermines predictability; he recommended wider publication of anonymized awards with reasoning to build persuasive precedents and urged judicial restraint. Kant highlighted India’s growing role in international arbitration, noting SIAC’s New Delhi liaison office and the upcoming International Arbitration Centre in GIFT City. Concluding, he emphasized that "rules alone cannot solve problems of behaviour" and that arbitration needs disciplined use of existing tools and humility to preserve its core principles of neutrality, party autonomy, and enforceability.

(Source：Scconline)