Aadrikaa Legal Services (ALS)- Law I Litigation I Arbitration
Date: 07.11.2026
Amazon Seller Services Dispute Referred to Sole Arbitration by Karnataka High Court
This Short Article has been prepared & written by Arbitrator Shobhit Malik. The views expressed are based on his interpretation of the law. He can be reached at his mob no- +91 9712924188 and email id shobhit.Ica23@gmail.com .
The Karnataka High Court has appointed retired District Judge Sri Mohan S. Sankolli as sole arbitrator to resolve contractual disputes between Amazon Seller Services Private Limited and MA Enterprises arising from their scrap-management service agreements.
Background of the dispute
Amazon Seller Services Private Limited, an e-commerce company, had engaged MA Enterprises for scrap management and disposal services, including the collection and lawful disposal of various categories of waste material. The parties entered into two Master Service Agreements:
- Master Service Agreement-I: 1 April 2019
- Master Service Agreement-II: 1 April 2020
Disputes subsequently arose in connection with these agreements. Amazon invoked the arbitration clause by issuing a notice under Section 21 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, on 9 November 2022. MA Enterprises did not respond to that notice.
Arbitration clause and court proceedings
Clause 9.2 of the agreements provided for disputes to first be discussed between the parties for 15 days. If unresolved, the clause contemplated arbitration before a three-member tribunal: one arbitrator nominated by each party and a presiding arbitrator selected by those two arbitrators.
The clause also specified that:
- Indian law would govern the agreements;
- arbitration would be conducted in English;
- Bengaluru would be the arbitration venue; and
- the tribunal would issue a written, reasoned award within four months from appointment of the presiding arbitrator.
Amazon approached the High Court under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act seeking appointment of arbitrators. Although the contractual clause referred to a three-member tribunal, Amazon submitted that a sole arbitrator would be appropriate considering the nature of the dispute.
High Courtβs decision
Justice H.T. Narendra Prasad noted that the agreements contained a valid arbitration clause and that Amazon had properly invoked it. The court also recorded that notice of the petition had been served on MA Enterprises, but the respondent remained unrepresented.
The court allowed the petition and appointed Sri Mohan S. Sankolli, retired District Judge, as the sole arbitrator. The arbitration will proceed before the Arbitration and Conciliation Centre (Domestic & International), Bengaluru, under that centreβs applicable rules.
The court left all claims and defences open for determination in arbitration. It also directed the registry to communicate the order to the arbitration centre and the appointed arbitrator, and to return original documents after retaining photocopies.
What the order means
The order does not decide the underlying commercial claims. Instead, it moves the dispute from court to arbitration, where the partiesβ respective claims, objections and evidence will be considered by the sole arbitrator.
The parties were directed to appear before the Director of the Arbitration and Conciliation Centre, Bengaluru, on 15 December 2026 at 11:30 a.m.
Key takeaway
The decision illustrates the High Courtβs role in facilitating arbitration where a contractual arbitration mechanism has been invoked but does not progress, including by appointing a sole arbitrator when the court considers that course suitable for resolving the dispute.
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Source: Karnataka High Court
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