EXPRESSWELL INTERNATIONAL LTD. vs ADHUNIK METALIKS LTD. — ARBIT.PETITON No. 3/2006

Case Summary: Expresswell International Ltd. v. Adhunik Metaliks Ltd. Outcome: Justice Altamas Kabir appointed Justice G.B. Pattanaik (former Chief Justice of India) as arbitrator to resolve the dispute, rejecting the respondent's defense that the arbitration notice was premature. The court found a valid arbitration agreement existed and that the respondent could not shield itself behind non-performance of pre-arbitration negotiation requirements. Background: Expresswell (Chinese commodity trader) contracted with Adhunik (Indian steel manufacturer) to supply 30,000 MT of coke at USD 189/MT. The contract required Adhunik to open a letter of credit 15 days before shipment (August 20-30, 2005), but Adhunik failed to do so. Expresswell invoked the arbitration clause on December 10, 2005, after failed settlement attempts. Next Steps: Arbitration proceedings to be held in Delhi, with the arbitrator guided by contract provisions. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.