Bhubaneswar: The curtain raiser and vision launch of the KIIT Centre for International Arbitration and Mediation (KCIAM) was held in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
Eminent judges, jurists and legal experts participated in the event.
Justice Sandeep Mehta, Judge of the Supreme Court, described the establishment of KCIAM as a “timely and visionary” initiative, noting that it has the potential to act as a catalyst for change by offering world-class facilities, fostering collaboration, training future arbitrators, and promoting research in best practices. “KCIAM will not only serve this region, but will contribute meaningfully to the larger vision of India as a global hub for arbitration and mediation” he said.
Justice Abdulqawi A Yusuf of the International Court of Justice said that arbitration and mediation were deeply rooted in India’s history, and the new centre would mark a new era of institutionalized arbitration in the country. He said the KIIT initiative could stand alongside international benchmarks like Singapore and Hong Kong if it maintained the highest standards of fairness and professionalism.
Justice Sandeep Kumar, Judge of Patna High Court, observed that Bhubaneswar was a fitting home for such a centre, given its emergence as a technology hub. He said India’s arbitration landscape has transformed radically, with mediation alone having resolved over 58,000 cases in recent years. With KCIAM, he said, parties can resolve disputes in Bhubaneswar itself rather than relying solely on Delhi or Mumbai.
Supporting this view, Justice Rajesh Kumar, Judge of the Jharkhand High Court, highlighted the need to raise awareness about arbitration and reduce reliance on exporting disputes abroad. Justice Anand Sen of the Jharkhand High Court emphasised that arbitration and mediation were steadily moving from being alternatives to becoming mainstream forms of dispute resolution, stressing the need for well-trained mediators with strong legal grounding.
Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, also a Judge of Jharkhand High Court, expressed confidence that KCIAM would grow into one of the best centres globally, much like other arms of KIIT.
Senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General Dr Pinky Anand said the establishment of the centre reflects India’s aspirations as a fast-growing economy and strengthens its judicial infrastructure. Professor N L Mitra, Professor Emeritus, School of Law, KIIT-DU said KCIAM will be a world class arbitration centre, and will have a good panel of arbitrators, arbitrator lawyers.
Chairman of KCIAM and senior advocate of the Supreme Court Ashok Parija in his welcome address said the initiative supports Odisha’s aspirations of economic growth and makes justice more affordable.
KIIT Vice Chancellor Prof Saranjit Singh proposed the vote of thanks.
Founder of KIIT and KISS Dr Achyuta Samanta was present on the occasion, where the website of KCIAM was launched.
