New Delhi, Nov. 2 -- India's ambitions to establish itself as a global arbitration hub face persistent challenges due to prolonged state-driven litigation and institutional delays. Repeated Supreme Court criticism over extended challenges to enforcement orders, frequently driven by state entities, underscores the stark gap between India's push for fast-track dispute resolution and its actual implementation.

These systemic shortcomings were brought into sharp focus on Monday as the Supreme Court sharply criticised the Union government for prolonging a dispute involving a 22-year-old arbitral award in favour of mining major Vedanta Ltd, saying its approach was frustrating the enforcement of an arbitration decision.

A bench of Justices J.B...