Under Section 29A of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, an arbitral award shall be made within:

Section 29A prescribes that the arbitral tribunal shall make its award within TWELVE months from the date it enters upon the reference. Where the parties consent, the mandate of the arbitrator may be extended by the court for a further period not exceeding SIX months; beyond that, the mandate may terminate and the court may appoint a substitute tribunal. The 2019 amendment made the timelines in Sections 23(4) and 29A significant for expediting arbitration. These statutory deadlines balance speed with the autonomy of the parties.