Arbitral Tribunal Can Proceed Against Party Though They Weren't Served With S.21 Notice Or Made Party In S.11 Application : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court clarified that serving a notice under Section 21 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act and filing an application under Section 11 for arbitrator appointment are not mandatory prerequisites for impleading a party to ongoing arbitral proceedings. The court held that the joinder of a party to an existing arbitration is governed by different considerations and does not necessarily require the initiation steps prescribed for commencing a fresh arbitration. This ruling simplifies the process of adding parties to arbitration.