Delhi High Court: Signed Arbitral Award Sent by Email is Valid

The Delhi High Court has held that a signed arbitral award sent by email is valid under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.

This means the time limit to challenge the award in Court commences from the date the email is received.

The Court referred to earlier judgements, including Tecco Trichy, Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd. v. Navigant Technologies, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs v. Ernst & Young, and observed that electronic communication is recognized under law, and physical delivery is not mandatory if the award has been signed and properly emailed.