Discussions on technology in the judiciary today often centre around ambitious ideas. Artificial Intelligence (hereinafter AI), blockchain, Internet of Things (hereinafter IoT) and automated case management systems are regularly projected as the future of courts.

When people talk about India’s telecom story, the spotlight falls on 5G auctions, startups and big telecom companies. Fewer notice the small, specialised tribunal that regularly decides the rules those markets live by, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) system, introduced under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 (RDDBFI Act), was seen as India’s institutional answer to the inefficiency of the civil courts in handling financial disputes.