Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Ltd v. Damodar Valley Corporation

ORDER

OCD-6

IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA

COMMERCIAL DIVISION ORIGINAL SIDE AP-COM/796/2025 NUVOCO VISTAS CORPORATION LTD.

VS DAMODAR VALLEY CORPORATION

BEFORE

HON'BLE JUSTICE GAURANG KANTH Date: November 12, 2025.

Appearance:- Mr. Sourav Roy, Adv.

...for petitioner.

Mr. Swarajit Dey, Adv.

...for respondent.

The Court:- The petitioner has preferred the present application under Section 29A of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, seeking extension of time for conclusion of the arbitral proceedings and publication of the award. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the parties by mutual consent, constituted the arbitral tribunal which entered upon the reference on 14.10.2022. This Court, vide order dated 21.11.2024 passed in APCOM/939/2024 extended the mandate of the arbitral tribunal by a further period of one year from the date of communication of the said order to the tribunal. Consequently, the present mandate of the tribunal is due to expire on 22.11.2025. It is further stated that the arbitral proceedings have reached the stage of final arguments and, therefore, the petitioner had preferred the present application seeking further extension of the tribunal's mandate.

Upon perusal of the record, it appears that the arbitral tribunal has conducted more than forty six hearings and has recorded extensive evidence on behalf of both the parties. The proceedings are presently at the stage of final arguments.

Learned counsel for the respondent states that he has no objection to the present application and agrees that the mandate of the arbitral tribunal can be further extended.

Upon consideration, this Court is satisfied that there has been no undue or unwarranted delay in the conduct of the arbitral proceedings and that the arbitral tribunal has made substantial progress in dealing with the matter expeditiously.

Accordingly, the mandate of the arbitral tribunal is hereby extended by a further period of eight months from today. The arbitral tribunal is requested to ensure that the arbitral proceedings are concluded and that the award is published within the extended time period without seeking any further extension.

With the aforesaid observation and direction the present petition stands disposed of.

(GAURANG KANTH, J.) R. D. Barua