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.

Shri 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. He appreciated the 3-day rigorous, applied, and well-articulated arbitration assessment program of IICA aligned to global benchmarks. He motivated the first cohort delegates to be different and be effective in their role as arbitrators, since confidence-building is a shared responsibility.

Shri 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. He highlighted that international businesses overwhelmingly prefer arbitration to resolve disputes and noted that the massive backlog of cases and delays discourages investment and weakens economic growth. He referred to reforms such as the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which improved business exit mechanisms, but said that a broader legal infrastructure reform is still needed.

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. He thanked all the experts for their support in the successful completion of the flagship arbitration assessment program and acknowledged the dedication of all participants along with the IICA core organising team.

Centre of Excellence in ADR, IICA is transforming the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution)  landscape in India through its flagship initiatives on mediation and arbitration, namely;

1. IICA Certified Mediator Program (ICMP) - a 100+ hours, 3-month online program running into the 23rd batch,
2. IICA Certified Arbitration Professional (ICAP) - a 250+ hours, 9-month hybrid program running into the 2nd batch, and
3. Arbitrator Qualifying Assessment Program (AQAP) - a 3-day, 3-tier rigorous assessment program to create world-class arbitrators.