IICA concludes first assessment of Arbitrator Qualifying Assessment Program

The first assessment cycle of the IICA Arbitrator Qualifying Assessment Program (AQAP) was conducted in-person from April 24-26, 2026, at the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) Campus, Manesar. The event was organised by the Centre of Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution (CEADR), a 3-tier rigorous assessment for certification as an arbitrator.

A first-of-its-kind initiative, the program aims at creating a pool of professionally trained and globally benchmarked arbitrators to make India an international arbitration hub for Viksit Bharat.

Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director-General & CEO, IICA, welcomed and felicitated the Chief Guest, Justice (Retd.) Hemant Gupta, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India and Former Chairperson, India International Arbitration Centre, along with the other two independent experts involved in the assessment, namely Shri Anish Wadia C.Arb and Shri AJ Jawad.

Justice Hemant Gupta, who presided over the assessment, emphasised that in order to increase the credibility of arbitrators and arbitration as a profession, a mindset shift is needed from ad hoc to a market-based, efficiency-driven approach.

Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh emphasised that if India aims to become a developed nation with a multi-trillion-dollar economy, it must build a fast, efficient, and cost-effective dispute resolution system.

Delivering the vote of thanks, Prof (Dr) Naveen Sirohi, Head, CEADR, IICA, emphasised the commitment of the Centre of Excellence in augmenting the dispute resolution ecosystem in India through creating a pool of world-class arbitrators and mediators at par with global standards. (UPDATED ON 28TH APRIL 2026)