In a landmark initiative poised to redefine India’s justice delivery architecture, the Government of India, under the aegis of the Ministry of Law & Justice, formally launched the Mediation Association of India (MAI) and hosted the 1st National Mediation Conference 2025 on May 3, 2025, at the iconic Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
This pivotal moment in India’s legal evolution marked not just the unveiling of a national body for mediation, but also a tectonic shift in legal consciousness – elevating mediation from the periphery to the core of dispute resolution frameworks.
A cornerstone of the day’s proceedings was the launch of the Mediation Association of India (MAI) – India’s pioneering national body dedicated to advancing mediation as a mainstream dispute resolution mechanism.
With an expansive mandate to unify mediators, professionals, legal institutions, and community leaders, MAI is envisioned as the engine of India’s mediation revolution. It aims to:
MAI’s launch signalled a national commitment to embed mediation into India’s legal, social, and economic fabric.
At the helm of this historic occasion stood the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, whose presence underscored the constitutional and moral weight behind this national initiative.
In a keynote address that resonated deeply across the legal and governance spectrum, the President emphasized that mediation was no longer a secondary option, but a central pillar of justice delivery in a society striving for inclusive, efficient, and harmonious governance.
“The dispute resolution mechanism under the Mediation Act, 2023 should be effectively extended to rural areas so that the Panchayats are legally empowered to mediate and resolve the conflicts in villages,” she urged.
President Murmu’s remarks were not mere formalities – they reflected a national call to decentralize justice and empower local governance institutions to resolve disputes amicably.
“The institution of Panchayat was legendary for fostering amicable settlements… Unfortunately, colonial rulers ignored this exemplary legacy when they imposed an alien legal system on us,” she said, tracing the cultural and historical continuity that mediation holds in India’s past.
As emphasized throughout the day, mediation is not just a legal tool – it is a mindset. It enables dialogue over confrontation, empathy over ego, and collaboration over conflict. This philosophy was beautifully summed up in the conference’s editorial statement:
“Mediation is not merely an alternative mechanism—it is a mindset.”
By elevating mediation, India is not replacing litigation but rebalancing its justice framework – bringing in mechanisms that are quicker, more humane, and more sustainable.
President Murmu reflected on the erosion of India’s native systems of conflict resolution under colonialism. She noted that out-of-court settlements were once more the norm than the exception, and that Panchayats were legendary for resolving disputes without bitterness.
“The aim was not just to resolve disputes, but to remove any lingering bitterness,” she said, as she hailed the Mediation Act, 2023 as the long-awaited legal bridge to restore this ethos.
President Murmu underscored how mediation contributes to ease of doing business, ease of living, and more efficient judicial systems. She urged that it be recognized not just as a legal necessity, but as a societal imperative.
“When embraced fully, mediation can be a key instrument to realise the vision of a developed Viksit Bharat by 2047,” she remarked, calling the inaugural conference “not a mere ceremonial event, but a call to action.”
Enacted in August 2023, the Mediation Act is India’s first comprehensive legislation to govern and mainstream mediation. It institutionalizes:
For the first time, India has a codified structure that integrates mediation within the formal legal ecosystem, complete with safeguards for confidentiality, neutrality, and enforceability.
President Murmu aptly described it as legislation that “plugs a historical gap” left by colonial systems.
The conference was graced by the presence of India’s top constitutional and legal minds, including:
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the then Chief Justice of India
Hon’ble Mr. Justice B.R. Gavai, Judge, Supreme Court of India (now the Chief Justice of India)
Hon’ble Mr. Justice B.V. Nagarathna, Judge, Supreme Court
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant, Judge, Supreme Court
Shri. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Law & Justice
Shri. Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General of India
Shri. R. Venkataramani, Attorney General for India
Shri. Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman, Bar Council of India
Dr. Anju Rathi Rana, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs
Together, they reflected a powerful alignment between the judiciary, executive, and legal fraternity—a rare and vital convergence necessary for systemic transformation.
Hon’ble Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the then Chief Justice of India, in a compelling address, drew from data and jurisprudence alike to paint mediation not as a weaker alternative, but as a superior one in many contexts.
“Our goal must be to show every litigant, every citizen, every businessman, every person, that mediation is not a lesser form of justice but a wiser form of it,” he said.
Highlighting that over 7.57 lakh cases had already been settled via mediation between 2016 and 2025, he reinforced its viability as a powerful court-diversion mechanism.
Justice Khanna also spoke poignantly about the restorative quality of mediation:
“It goes deeper into the issue… It heals and restores the relationship. This is true justice – not coerced and forced by what third parties dictate.”
Hon’ble Justice B.R. Gavai, now the Chief Justice of India, turned the spotlight on legal education and the urgent need to train a new generation of conflict-resolvers. “Mediation is a human process that requires active listening and emotional intelligence… Legal education must prepare students not just to argue cases, but to understand how to manage conflict in a way that preserves relationships and dignity.”
His message was unequivocal: India’s future lawyers and judges must be as adept at resolving conflict as they are at arguing cases.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta spoke to the structural advantages of routing smaller and labor-related disputes through mediation channels.
“The Mediation Association could play a crucial role in promoting faster and more flexible methods of dispute resolution, particularly in smaller cases or labour disputes that should ideally first be mediated.”
He advocated for triaging such cases early through mediation—reducing load on courts and delivering timely relief to citizens.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal invoked epics and ancient history to reinforce mediation’s rootedness in Indian ethos: “Every dispute begins with mediation. During the Ramayan, Angad was a mediator. Lord Krishna was the mediator during the Mahabharat.”
By marrying mythology with modern policy, Meghwal presented the Mediation Act, 2023 as both a civilizational revival and a modern necessity.
As India takes bold steps to institutionalise mediation through the launch of the Mediation Association of India (MAI), the emphasis is clear — mediation is not just an alternative, but a foundational pillar of a future-ready justice system.
In a message reflecting both conviction and foresight, Shri R. Venkataramani, Attorney General for India, captured the spirit of this new national resolve. “Mediation,” he noted, “is not merely an alternative mechanism — it is a mindset.
It offers individuals the courage to communicate, the space to listen, and the opportunity to resolve.”
With India’s legal landscape undergoing transformation, the Attorney General underscored that access to justice must now evolve beyond adversarial mechanisms. Mediation, in this context, presents the promise of clarity without conflict, resolution without resentment, and justice without delay.
The Mediation Association of India, launched at the 1st National Mediation Conference, is envisioned as a unifying platform to build capacity, promote awareness, and embed the practice of mediation deep into the country’s legal framework.
“MAI brings together a wide and committed community — judges, law officers, advocates, policymakers, institutions, and thought leaders,” said Shri Venkataramani. “All are aligned in the belief that India must now make mediation a cornerstone of its legal system.”
He further acknowledged the gravitas brought by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, whose presence as Chief Guest lent national momentum to the movement. Recognitions also extended to Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justices B.R. Gavai, Surya Kant, B.V. Nagarathna, and Hemant Gupta, who chaired and contributed to the conference’s technical session.
Applauding Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of Law & Justice, for his reform-focused leadership, and institutional champions like Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, the Attorney General remarked on the collective will now driving India’s mediation ecosystem forward. A special mention was reserved for Dr. Anju Rathi Rana, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, for steering the logistical and strategic coordination of the landmark event. At the heart of the day’s success, Shri Venkataramani also credited the dedicated mediators, volunteers, and the broader MAI community, acknowledging their “tireless work behind the scenes.”
His closing sentiment was as profound as it was powerful:
“Let us move forward — not with confrontation, but with conversation. Let us transform justice — not through contest, but through consensus.”
At the inaugural event of the Mediation Association of India and the 1st National Mediation Conference 2025 held in New Delhi, Dr. Anju Rathi Rana, Law Secretary and the first woman to hold the post, underscored the transformative role of mediation in India’s legal landscape.
She remarked that mediation is not merely an alternative method of resolving disputes, but a foundational pillar of the justice delivery system. Stressing the need for collaboration across institutions, she emphasized that the formation of a national Mediation Association is a decisive step toward bringing together diverse arbitration and mediation bodies across the country under a unified platform.
Dr. Rana envisioned this collective as one that could identify common challenges, share best practices, and drive mediation forward as the preferred mode of resolution in civil and commercial matters. Her address reflected both optimism and urgency in institutionalizing mediation as a mainstream legal process, aligned with India’s evolving justice reform agenda.
The Mediation Association of India (MAI) envisions the rise of a conflict-resilient, inclusive, and harmonious society — one where disputes are not prolonged through litigation, but resolved through dialogue, empathy, and collaboration. True progress and lasting peace emerge when individuals, communities, institutions, and businesses are empowered to address conflicts constructively and voluntarily.
MAI strives to embed mediation as both:
into the very fabric of India’s legal, social, and economic frameworks. Mediation, thus, becomes not just an alternative, but the preferred and trusted method of resolution.
In alignment with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, MAI is committed to building an accessible, standardized, and institutionally supported mediation ecosystem across rural and urban India. By breaking down geographical, economic, social, and cultural barriers, MAI endeavors to make peaceful dispute resolution a practical, inclusive, and transformative reality for all.
As India’s apex mediation institution, MAI also aspires to position the nation as a global Mediation Powerhouse — fostering international partnerships, driving knowledge exchange, and leveraging India’s cultural depth to promote global peace through mediation.
The conference concluded with a resolute call for action. Key takeaways included:
This roadmap will transform India into a multi-door justice system, where litigation, mediation, arbitration, and conciliation coexist and complement each other.
As India moves deeper into the Amrit Kaal, the direction is clear—dialogue over dispute, resolution over retaliation, harmony over hostility.
The question is no longer “Why mediation?”
It is: “Why not mediation first?”
Backed by visionary leadership, constitutional backing, and institutional muscle, India is now poised to redefine justice—not just as a verdict, but as a process of healing and mutual respect.
At the core of this movement stood Lex Witness, India’s 1st Magazine on Legal & Corporate Affairs, which played a central role as the Official Conference Secretariat. Attorney General Venkataramani, in his address, lauded the publication’s efforts:
“Lex Witness has played an exemplary role in institution-building, thought leadership, and commitment to advancing mediation as a national priority.”
Through its platforms, coverage, and convening power, Lex Witness helped frame the narrative and bring together key stakeholders.
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