Increasing hurdles: Arbitration claims against NHAI on the rise

Arbitration cases involving the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have been on a steady rise in recent years, according to the data provided in its annual reports. With many companies facing liquidity issues, the past one year has seen road firms filing more claims, monetising some of those, and seeking quick awards.

The NHAI’s latest available annual report, for FY18, shows the authority had 1,014 cases of arbitration —significantly higher from 125 in FY17 and 119 in FY16. The value of claims for FY18 was pegged at Rs 55,344 crore, as against Rs 42,074 crore in FY17 and Rs 30,071