Bombay High Court Partially Upholds Metro-1 Arbitral Award, Reduces MMRDA Liability

The Bombay High Court partly upheld an arbitral award favoring Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) in a dispute with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) over the Versova-Ghatkopar Metro-1 project. The court set aside several claims by MMOPL, reducing MMRDA's liability to around Rs 516 crore plus interest. The arbitration arose from delays and cost escalations under a 2007 concession agreement, with MMOPL, largely owned by Reliance Infrastructure, seeking compensation. The court emphasized limited interference in arbitral awards while modifying the financial obligations.