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{{Short description|Indian judge (born 1956)}}
{{BLP sources|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Indu Malhotra
| image = File:Justice_Indu_Malhotra.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| office = Judge of the [[Supreme Court of India]]
| term_start = 27 April 2018<ref>{{Cite news|title=Indu Malhotra Takes Oath As Supreme Court Judge Amid Row Over Appointments |date=27 April 2018 |newspaper=NDTV |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indu-malhotra-to-be-sworn-in-as-supreme-courts-seventh-woman-judge-since-independence-1843592 }}</ref>
| term_end = 13 March 2021
| nominator = [[Dipak Misra]]
| appointer = [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| successor =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1956|3|14}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/meet-indu-malhotra-indias-first-woman-lawyer-to-be-directly-elevated-to-rank-of-supreme-court-judge/1146389/|title=Who is Indu Malhotra? First woman lawyer to be directly elevated as Supreme Court judge from Bar|date=26 April 2018|website=Financialexpress.com|access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Bangalore]], [[Mysore State]], India
| alma_mater = Campus Law Centre, [[Faculty of Law, University of Delhi]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}

'''Indu Malhotra''' is a former judge of the [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=9 August 2007 |title=Lady lawyer pierces glass ceiling |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Lady-lawyer-pierces-glass-ceiling/articleshow/2267146.cms |access-date=7 April 2014 |newspaper=Times of India}}</ref> Post retirement, she is practicing as a full-time arbitrator in international and domestic arbitrations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indu Malhotra specialist in Arbitaration Law |url=https://www.scobserver.in/judges/indu-malhotra/}}</ref> Prior to her elevation, she was practicing as a Senior Counsel in the Supreme Court of India, and various High Courts. In 2007, she was the second woman to be designated as a Senior Counsel by the Supreme Court, after more than three decades. In 2018, she was the first woman to be elevated directly from the Bar as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-11 |title=Praise for justice Indu Malhotra days before her retirement |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/praise-for-justice-indu-malhotra-days-before-her-retirement-101615401804749.html |access-date=2021-09-04 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=11 January 2018 |title=Collegium recommends Indu Malhotra, KM Joseph J. for appointment to Supreme Court |url=https://barandbench.com/collegium-recommends-indu-malhotra-km-joseph-j-appointment-supreme-court/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240528081629/https://www.webcitation.org/6z2vUxepd?url=https://barandbench.com/collegium-recommends-indu-malhotra-km-joseph-j-appointment-supreme-court/ |archive-date=28 May 2024 |access-date=12 January 2018 |newspaper=Bench & Bar |location=Bangalore, India |df=dmy}}</ref> She demitted office in March 2021 on completion of her term.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rajagopal |first=Krishnadas |date=11 January 2018 |title=In a first, Collegium recommends woman advocate for direct appointment as SC judge |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/collegium-recommends-two-for-sc-judge-including-woman-lawyer/article22420387.ece |access-date=16 September 2018 |newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Dhananjay Mahapatra |date=Mar 13, 2021 |title=Choking with emotion, Justice Malhotra bids adieu to Supreme Court with tears {{!}} India News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/choked-with-emotion-justice-indu-malhotra-retires-from-sc/articleshow/81463483.cms |access-date=2021-03-13 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> She has contributed significantly to arbitration jurisprudence, both as a counsel and as a judge.<ref name=":0" />

She is currently a Member of the Court, Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), The Hague.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Permanent Court of Arbitration- Indu Malhotra bio |url=https://pca-cpa.org/en/about/structure/members-of-the-court/}}</ref>

She is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Indu Malhota bio |url=https://skoch.in/justice-indu-malhotra/}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Indu Malhotra is the daughter of Late Sh. [[Om Prakash Malhotra (advocate)|Om Prakash Malhotra]], a senior advocate of the Supreme Court and author, and Satya Malhotra.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livelaw.in/columns/justice-indu-malhotra-lady-lawyer-pierces-glass-ceiling-171094|title=Justice Indu Malhotra: The Breaker Of Glass Ceilings|first=Menaka|last=Guruswamy|date=March 12, 2021|website=www.livelaw.in}}</ref>

She did her schooling from [[Carmel Convent School]], [[New Delhi]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2022/jan/12/pm-modis-security-breach-probe-all-you-need-to-know-about-ex-sc-judge-justice-indu-malhotra-2406033.html|title=PM Modi's security breach probe: All you need to know about ex-SC Judge Justice Indu Malhotra }}</ref> Thereafter, she did her Bachelors and Masters in Political Science from [[Lady Shri Ram College]], Delhi University. After obtaining her Masters Degree, she worked briefly as a lecturer in Political Science at [[Miranda House]] and [[Vivekananda College, Delhi|Vivekananda College]], Delhi University.<ref name=LiveLaw>{{Cite web|last=Roy|first=Radhika|date=2021-03-12|title=Important Judgments Of Justice Indu Malhotra|url=https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/important-judgments-of-justice-indu-malhotra-171108|access-date=2021-03-13|website=www.livelaw.in|language=en}}</ref>

In 1982, she completed her Law Degree (LL.B.) from the [[Faculty of Law, University of Delhi]] and enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi and took to the practice of Law as her profession.<ref name=LiveLaw />

==Career==
She qualified as an advocate-on-record in the [[Supreme court|Supreme Court]], and topped the examination in 1988, and was awarded the Mukesh Goswami Award.<ref name=LiveLaw />

In 2017, Justice Malhotra was appointed as a member of a High-Level Committee constituted by The Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India to make recommendations for institutionalization of arbitration in India, and suggest further legislative amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The 2019 Amendments to the Indian Arbitration & Conciliation Act, 1996 are based on the recommendations of this Committee.<ref>{{cite news |date=1 February 2014 |title=Looking into harassment complaints by lawyers: SC panel |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/looking-into-harassment-complaints-by-lawyers-sc-panel/ |access-date=18 June 2014 |website=Indianexpress.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sri Krishna Committee for amendments to Arbitration Act |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/bn-sri-krishna-j-kkv-indu-malhotra-ps-narasimha-committee-review-institutionalization-arbitration}}</ref>

She has been appointed as an arbitrator by various arbitral institutions including the [[International chamber of commerce|ICC]] [[International Court of Arbitration]], Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (MCIA), [[Singapore International Arbitration Centre]] (SIAC), Indian Council of Arbitration (ICA), Delhi International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), and Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).<ref name=":1" />

She is regularly invited to lecture on the law and practice of arbitration by institutions such as [[Delhi University]], [[National Law University, Delhi|National Law University]] in Delhi, National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) in Hyderabad, [[Gujarat National Law University]] in Ahmedabad, [[ILS Law College]] in Pune, [[Symbiosis Law School]], and Amity University in New Delhi.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Indu Malhotra Supreme Court bio |url=https://www.sci.gov.in/judge/justice-indu-malhotra/}}</ref>

Apart from her judicial career, she has been deeply engaged in academia. She has authored the 3rd and 4th edition of the well-known Commentary on the Arbitration Act, which has been cited by the Supreme Court and the High Courts in various judgments.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Srivats |first=K. R. |date=7 April 2014 |title=Arbitrators need to play more active role, says CJI |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/policy/arbitrators-need-to-play-more-active-role-says-cji/article5883760.ece |access-date=18 June 2014 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] "Business Line"}}</ref>

In 2005, she was nominated in the category of ‘eminent person’ by the then Chief Justice of India to the General Council of Gujarat National Law University.<ref name=":3" />

In June 2023, Justice Malhotra was nominated by the [[Chief Justice of India]] as the Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the Consortium of National Law Universities in India.<ref name=":3" />

In 2024, Justice Malhotra has established a Chair to conduct the 1st Post Graduate Diploma Course on International Commercial Arbitration & Investment Treaty Arbitration in the [[National Law University, Delhi|National Law University]] of Delhi. The object of conducting this course is for capacity building in this specialized area of arbitration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chair on International Commercial Arbitration at NLU Delhi- Indu Malhotra |url=https://nludelhi.ac.in/major-milestone-at-nlu-delhi-9th-september-2024/}}</ref>

She is also engaged in public service and is actively involved as a Trustee of the [[SaveLIFE Foundation|Save Life Foundation]] ('''“SLF”)''' which is a public charitable trust.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Save Life Foundation Indu Malhotra as a Trustee |url=https://savelifefoundation.org/stuff/people-indu-malhotra/}}</ref> SLF has pioneered various initiatives for improving road safety and emergency medical care to address the issue of the high number of fatalities caused by road crashes in India. SLF has also filed various PILs in the Supreme Court, including a PIL for the framing of guidelines for protection of Good Samaritans, which led to the insertion of Section 134-A in the Motor Vehicles Act to provide statutory protection to Good Samaritans from any civil or criminal proceedings. SLF has launched various initiatives such as the Zero Fatality Corridor on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. SLF has recently filed a PIL on the right to Trauma Care, being a constituent of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, and a part of the “minimum core obligations of the State”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=India has the highest number of road accident fatalities – but one man’s determination has reduced that figure by 40% |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/05/road-traffic-safety-programme-india/}}</ref>

==Membership of committees and nominations==

* Nominated by the Chief Justice of India as the Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the Consortium of National Law Universities in India in June 2023.<ref name=":3" />
* Member of the Central Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, a statutory body established under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 in 2016.<ref name=":2" />
* Member of the Indo-British Legal Forum held in January 2003 and March 2008.<ref name=":1" />
* Represented India at the Convention on the Rights of the Child, conducted by the Commonwealth Secretariat in May 1988 at Dhaka, Bangladesh.<ref name=":3" />

==Publications and academic pursuits==
Justice Malhotra has published the Third Edition ([[Thomson Reuters]], 2014)<ref>{{cite web |title=GAR Article: DELHI: White Industries in the spotlight |url=http://globalarbitrationreview.com/journal/article/32783/delhi-white-industries-spotlight |access-date=16 September 2018 |website=Globalarbitrationreview.com}}</ref> and Fourth Edition ([[Wolters Kluwer]], 2020)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commentary on Law of Arbitration Fourth Edition by Indu Malhotra |url=https://www.ebcwebstore.com/product/commentary-on-the-law-of-arbitration-in-2-volumes?products_id=99104976&srsltid=AfmBOopshNwIgqfT70_mKhrWH75RCrVsHj4bH3PGqd96khHObjHKSsYM}}</ref> of the Commentary on the Law of Arbitration in India. The Commentary has been cited by the Supreme Court and High Courts in various landmark and seminal Judgments.<ref name=":3" />

==Bibliography==
* ''The Law and Practice of Arbitration and Conciliation: The Arbitration and Conciliation Act'' (1996)<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gzQuAAAACAAJ&q=The+Law+and+Practice+of+Arbitration+and+Conciliation Google Books: "The Law and Practice of Arbitration and Conciliation: The Arbitration and Conciliation Act"]. Retrieved 18 August 2014</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malhotra, Indu}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women lawyers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women judges]]
[[Category:Faculty of Law, University of Delhi alumni]]
[[Category:Indian Senior Counsel]]
[[Category:Justices of the Supreme Court of India]]
[[Category:Lady Shri Ram College alumni]]
[[Category:Scholars from Bengaluru]]

Indu Malhotra - Revision history

Digitalcreator at 16:18, 6 August 2025