NCLAT - National Company Law Appellate Tribunal

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) is the appellate body that hears appeals against orders of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) and the Competition Commission of India (CCI). It was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013 and became operational on 1 June 2016. Its Principal Bench sits in New Delhi, with a second bench at Chennai. Each bench comprises judicial and technical members, headed by a Chairperson who is usually a retired Supreme Court judge or Chief Justice of a High Court.

What it hears

• Appeals against NCLT orders in company-law matters (mergers, oppression and mismanagement, winding up, class actions).
• Appeals against NCLT orders passed under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (corporate insolvency and liquidation).
• Appeals against CCI orders under the Competition Act, 2002.

Timelines

Why it matters

NCLAT provides a single specialist forum for corporate, insolvency and competition appeals, keeping such disputes out of the ordinary civil courts. Its rulings on insolvency and merger matters shape how businesses restructure, and a final appeal lies only to the Supreme Court, and only on a substantial question of law.