On May 14, 2025, the Indian Bar Association (BCI) – a regulatory body for the legal profession – formally announced a set of rules that allow foreign companies and lawyers to practice in India. File. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
In the winter of February 2000, the sea of black coats increased to parliament. More 40,000 lawyers, who develop water cannons, tears and lathi, introduced an intensive protest focused on blocking the entry of foreign lawyers and lawyers into the Indian legal system.
A quarter of a century later, the landscape moved dramatically. On May 14, 2025, the Indian Bar Association (BCI) – a regulatory body for the legal profession – formally announced a set of rules that allow foreign companies and lawyers to practice in India. However, their roles are limited: they can only work in non -nigant matters, limited to foreign and international law and only on mutual basis.
The past submerged in resistance
Nationwide agitation 25 years ago was launched by the working document of the India Legal Commission, which proposed amendments to the 1961 defense lawsuits to enable foreign legal consultants to practice in India.
“The whole legal brotherhood has been united,” recalled the lawyer and former president of the Association of the Bar Association of the Khosla Rajiv, who led the march and lost his eye in the shock with the police.
The Supreme Court later strengthened this sentiment in March 2018 when it ruled that foreign legal companies and foreign lawyers cannot practice the right in the country’s dispute or on the part of the lawsuit.
One of the central arguments was reciprocity, given that Indian advocates were not allowed to practice in the UK, USA, Australia and other foreign countries without maintaining difficult restrictions such as qualification tests, evidence of experience and work permits.
Turnover
In March 2023, the BCI floated a notification that allowed foreign lawyers to operate only in non -nigant areas. Although this announcement was questioned at the Supreme Court in Delhi and remains in court consideration, the last iteration in May 2025 consolidated the shift of policy.
Lalit Bhasin, the chairman of the company of Indian law firms (SILF), who was once a vocal adversary of foreign law firms entering India, reflected on the shift of the tone: “We welcome them. We can learn from us.
Nevertheless, he expressed concerns that the latest BCI announcement could contradict the Supreme Court’s decisions in 2018. Mr. Bhasin stated that the BCI 2023 announcement was maintained in non -scope, but the current development represents “old wine in a new bottle”.
“Our opinion is, why cannot Parliament just change the law, that is, the law of advocates that gives freedom to foreign lawyers to come to India to practice?
“Support for global integration”
Haigreve Khaitan, a senior partner of Khaitan & Co, called The Move a “positive step”. He said, “This will lead to an increase in knowledge, innovation and faster acceptance of global proven procedures. Regulatory reforms must now provide equal conditions.”
“The spirit of the amendment is to protect domestic litigation while promoting global integration,” said Abhishek Prasad, founder of his chambers of the same name. It also creates new opportunities for Indian lawyers and legal companies through the provisions on double registration, which allows them to practice foreign and international law without giving up their right to practicing Indian law, he added.
Shailender Singh, a partner of GNS Legal, added a pragmatic remark: “The amended rules do not specify whether foreign lawyers are limited in international arbitration only when it is Indian law, allowing them to appear if one of the parties.”
“Reciprocita is an illusion”
Former chairman Bar Council in Delhi KC Mittal raised questions about reciprocity. “The whole action is against the law of advocates because the same requires changes in the basic act. The entitlement to reciprocit is illusive. Recipročoční means that our legal title and certificate of records recognize them and every lawyer from India can go, appear and argue, but it is not,” he said.
Mr. Khosla repeated these fears. “So far, BCI has not determined which countries have expanded the reciprocal approach to Indian lawyers. Other countries do not accept us, but we are moving forward – I do not understand why,” he said.
Published – 1 June 2025 20:01 is
