The Supreme Court clarifies the precise commencement of arbitration proceedings, providing much-needed guidance. INTRODUCTION There is a deceptively simple question at the heart of many arbitration disputes in India: when, exactly, does the arbitration begin? It sounds straightforward. But for banks, NBFCs, and corporate litigants holding a pre-arbitration court order under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, getting this date wrong can cost them everythi