CJI Surya Kant stressed that India’s $10 trillion dream depends on a strong, predictable legal system, not just policies or investments. He highlighted mediation, legal reforms, and technology as key drivers for boosting investor trust and economic growth.
Calling for a major upgrade in India’s legal framework to match the needs of a fast-growing economy, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant emphasised that achieving the goal of becoming a $10 trillion economy will depend not just on economic policies or capital, but also on the strength and reliability of the country’s legal system.
Speaking at the Rule of Law Convention 2026 organised by the Bar Association of India, the CJI highlighted that investor confidence, legal predictability, and modern dispute resolution mechanisms are key to India’s economic future.
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He stated,
“I am confident that we will surely rise to the occasion. A $10 trillion mark will not be built by capital or policy alone. It will be built in no small part by the quality of the legal system that upholds the rule of law and the promises on which all of that depends. Our country never lacked the legal talent to build that system. And what this convention affirms is that it does not lack the will as well,”
said CJI Surya Kant.
The CJI explained that India now needs to attract a different kind of investment—long-term, patient capital that depends heavily on trust in institutions. Such investments include infrastructure funding, technology transfers, and global manufacturing setups, all of which require stability and consistency over time.
“This is capital that is patient, long-term and dependent on institutional reliability; whether it is a pension fund investment in infrastructure, a technology company transferring proprietary know-how, or a global manufacturer establishing an integrated supply chain, these are not short-term bets, they are commitments that unfold over time,”
the CJI said.
He stressed that investors carefully assess whether the legal system will remain fair, predictable, and trustworthy before committing resources.
“At its core, the question is one of trust; It is not merely about enforcement at the stage of breach of a contract, but about the continued integrity of obligations for performance. Such confidence among the investors enables commerce and commercial relationships to create the value they are intended to generate,”
the CJI said.
Highlighting how commercial disputes have evolved, the CJI noted that earlier cases were simpler—mostly involving payment defaults or contract breaches—but today’s disputes are far more complex and arise from long-term business relationships.
“And the reason for this shift is not merely procedural. It is fundamentally economic in origin. As commerce grows in scale and ambition, it moves away from isolated transactions toward continuing relationships,”
the CJI said.
He clarified that while existing commercial laws have served India reasonably well, they must now evolve to address the full lifecycle of business relationships rather than just isolated disputes.
“There is no need to discard the existing one. It is to enable the existing framework to grow so that it protects not just the moment of agreement, but the full life of the relationship. Our courts have already paved the way in their approach to public contracts and legitimate expectations. They have demonstrated that the law can look beyond breach and remedy and ask what fairness demands across the life of a relationship. That instinct is already present in our public law. It is now time to carry it into the commercial spheres as well,”
CJI Surya Kant said.
The CJI laid down three key priorities for building a strong legal ecosystem that supports economic growth. First is predictability—ensuring that similar legal issues are treated consistently, regardless of changes in government or circumstances. Second is creating a culture of good faith and dispute prevention.
“Mechanisms like mediation can deliver on their full promise if we foster this culture (of dispute prevention) and guard it jealously. So litigation becomes the last resort rather than the first response. That shift alone would do more for India’s economic competitiveness than many reforms that attract greater attention,”
the CJI said.
The third priority is specialisation. He pointed out that modern commercial disputes often involve complex sectors like infrastructure, finance, and digital systems, which require specialised legal knowledge.
“The nature of commercial disputes today has outgrown the scope of the generalist framework within which much of our legal training has been traditionally oriented. Disputes involving infrastructure, finance or digital systems increasingly demand sector-specific expertise; the profession must invest in that depth and legal education must respond accordingly and produce graduates suitable to the economy they are going to serve. In fact, there is a lot of requirement for our judges also to require a periodic orientation. And for that, I will sincerely make some efforts where some domain experts can have an informal interaction with judges to understand the different nuances of the economic system, so that they have a fair idea beyond the law books,”
the CJI said.
He also strongly advocated for integrating technology into the legal system, stating that it should not be treated as an optional add-on but as a core part of judicial infrastructure.
“I believe technology must be treated as part of the legal systems, as part of its core infrastructure, not as an optional upgrade. Digital case management, AI-assisted research tools and electronic postings directly affect the speed, accessibility and cost of justice,”
the CJI said, adding,
“But of course, human judgment must remain at its core. The objective is to remove every avoidable obstacle between a legitimate claim and its fair resolution.”
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Finally, the CJI emphasised the crucial role of lawyers and the legal community in shaping India’s economic future. He noted that the next phase of commercial jurisprudence will require strong cooperation between the bar and the bench.
“It depends equally on whether the bar chooses to see itself as a worthy stakeholder in India’s economic future, or a mere service provider. That shift cannot be mandated by legislation or a court order. It must come as a matter of professional commitment,”
he said.
The CJI concluded by expressing confidence that the current generation of legal professionals has the ability and responsibility to shape India’s commercial legal framework, much like earlier generations shaped the country’s constitutional jurisprudence.
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