Fast track procedure
Section 29B of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 deals with fast track procedure. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the parties to an arbitration agreement, may, at any stage either before or at the time of appointment of the arbitral tribunal, agree in writing to have their dispute resolved by fast track procedure specified in sub-section (3). The Act came into force on 22 Aug 1996.
1[29B. Fast track procedure.-- (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the parties to an arbitration agreement, may, at any stage either before or at the time of appointment of the arbitral tribunal, agree in writing to have their dispute resolved by fast track procedure specified in sub-section (3).
(2) The parties to the arbitration agreement, while agreeing for resolution of dispute by fast track procedure, may agree that the arbitral tribunal shall consist of a sole arbitrator who shall be chosen by the parties.
(3) The arbitral tribunal shall follow the following procedure while conducting arbitration proceedings under sub-section (1):--
(a) The arbitral tribunal shall decide the dispute on the basis of written pleadings, documents and submissions filed by the parties without any oral hearing;
(b) The arbitral tribunal shall have power to call for any further information or clarification from the parties in addition to the pleadings and documents filed by them;
(c) An oral hearing may be held only, if, all the parties make a request or if the arbitral tribunal considers it necessary to have oral hearing for clarifying certain issues;
(d) The arbitral tribunal may dispense with any technical formalities, if an oral hearing is held, and adopt such procedure as deemed appropriate for expeditious disposal of the case.
(4) The award under this section shall be made within a period of six months from the date the arbitral tribunal enters upon the reference.
(5) If the award is not made within the period specified in sub-section (4), the provisions of sub-sections (3) to (9) of section 29A shall apply to the proceedings.
(6) The fees payable to the arbitrator and the manner of payment of the fees shall be such as may be agreed between the arbitrator and the parties.]
Section 29B, The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (Act 26 of 1996).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Poonam vs Delhi Metro Rail Corp. Ltd. & ORS
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Where parties have contractually agreed to arbitrate their disputes through a specified clause in their agreement, the Supreme Court will respect and enforce such arbitration clause by referring the dispute to arbitration rather than adjudicating it through adversarial litigation, particularly where both parties consent to such referral and the arbitration mechanism is clearly provided in the contract.
On this section: Court directed the arbitrator to expedite proceedings and conclude the arbitration early in light of the amended Section 29B which provides for time-bound completion of arbitration
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Poonam vs Delhi Metro Rail Corp. Ltd.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When parties to a contractual dispute have included an arbitration clause and the dispute reaches the appellate stage, the Supreme Court may, with the consent of both parties, invoke that clause and direct reference to arbitration with an appropriately qualified arbitrator rather than proceeding with appellate adjudication on merits, particularly where such approach would more effectively resolve the controversy and respect the parties' contractual intent.
On this section: The Court referenced the amended Section 29B in requesting the arbitrator to expedite proceedings, indicating reliance on statutory provisions governing arbitration timelines and procedures
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 29B
What have the courts held on Section 29B of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act?
Poonam vs Delhi Metro Rail Corp. Ltd. & ORS (18 Apr 2016) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Court directed the arbitrator to expedite proceedings and conclude the arbitration early in light of the amended Section 29B which provides for time-bound completion of arbitration. Another 1 judgment on this section is set out below, all of them from the Supreme Court.
How do I find court cases under Section 29B of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Arbitration Act 29B, section 29B Arbitration Act, section 29B of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. People searching for it also type 29b arbitration act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 2 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Poonam vs Delhi Metro Rail Corp. Ltd. & ORS (18 Apr 2016).
What should I read with Section 29B of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 29A (Time limit for arbitral award), so none of them can safely be read on its own.
When did Section 29B of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act come into force?
Section 29B of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, cited as Arbitration Act 29B, came into force on 22 Aug 1996, having been enacted on 16 Aug 1996. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 8. Power to refer parties to arbitration where there is an arbitration agreement1029 words
- 11. Appointment of arbitrators1027 words
- 34. Application for setting aside arbitral awards861 words
- 2. Definitions732 words
- 29A. Time limit for arbitral award635 words
- 57. Conditions for enforcement of foreign awards519 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.