Executive Diploma in Practical and Legal Aspects of Construction Contracts & Disputes at NLU Delhi (One Year Online, Sep 2026 - Aug 2027, Fee Rs 1,25,000 + GST)

The Centre for Alternate Dispute Resolution (CADR) at National Law University Delhi is running its Executive Diploma in Practical and Legal Aspects of Construction Contracts and Disputes. The brochure describes it as a course designed for construction industry professionals, offering a blend of legal, management and practical skills so that participants can manage contracts and disputes in both international and Indian contexts.

It is a one-year programme carrying 40 credits, delivered entirely online, running from September 2026 to August 2027. The brochure records that the inaugural batch ran from September 2025 to August 2026 and brought together participants from leading public sector organisations, infrastructure developers, engineering companies, consultants and law firms.

By the end of the diploma, the brochure says a participant should be able to:

• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the key legal principles and frameworks relevant to construction contracts.
• Apply knowledge of contract selection and drafting in construction projects.
• Navigate the complexities of all types of construction agreements and resolve disputes using various alternate dispute resolution mechanisms.
• Identify and manage potential legal and contractual risks in construction project planning and execution.
• Work in the field of construction contracts and disputes in an international setting.

• Graduation in any field, including management, finance, engineering and law, from any recognised national or foreign university.
• Minimum three years of professional experience in the infrastructure or construction industry, in any capacity.

The brochure adds that all participants are expected to have reasonable experience and exposure of working in the infrastructure or construction industry in any capacity, whether general, financial, commercial, legal, project, contract, supply chain management or consultancy management. A large part of the programme runs as discussion on practical situations and case studies, so a basic minimum level of knowledge of the sector is assumed.

The brochure identifies the ideal participants as engineers, quantity surveyors, project managers, lawyers, architects, procurement officers, administration and finance personnel, and professionals from other disciplines with work experience in the infrastructure sector. It offers advanced skills in drafting and managing construction contracts and claims, and in resolving disputes, guided by insights from experienced industry experts.

• Online classes are conducted on weekends: Saturdays 7 PM to 9 PM and Sundays 10 AM to 12 PM.
• A self-assessment test (MCQs) is taken after each module.
• Mid semester and end semester examinations are taken online.
• Participants are given one research assignment.
• Reading material is circulated before the programme begins and before each module, and participants are expected to come prepared for the sessions.

Semester 1

• Module 1: Legal Foundations and Fundamentals of Contract Law
• Module 2: Project Management and Financial Management
• Module 3: Procurement, Tendering, and Regulatory Frameworks
• Module 4: Contractual Arrangements in Construction Industry and Construction Stakeholders

Semester 2

• Module 5: Construction contract clauses and claims management
• Module 6: Standard forms of international and Indian construction contracts and PPP Concessionaire Agreements
• Module 7: Global construction laws and dispute management mechanisms

Detailed coverage listed in the brochure includes different legal jurisdictions in the world, the Indian Contract Act 1872, stakeholders in construction projects and their roles and liabilities, contractual structures in the construction industry, procurement and tendering, Government of India procurement regulations, drafting of construction contract clauses, time-related and cost-related claims, insurance and financial management in construction projects, FIDIC and other international standard contracts, Indian public sector contracts, and dispute avoidance and dispute resolution mechanisms.

Sessions are taken by a mix of senior industry professionals, lawyers and NLU Delhi faculty. The brochure names:

• Brig. Amit Kathpalia (Retd.), Programme Director, Managing Partner at Klaims and Qwantum International, civil engineer with an LLM in International Construction Contracts from Pantheon Assas University, Paris, and Visiting Professor at NLU Delhi.
• Prof. (Dr.) Ruhi Paul, Programme Director and Director of CADR, NLU Delhi, specialising in ADR and civil procedure.
• Dr. Nidhi Gupta, Joint Programme Director, Associate Professor at NLU Delhi, specialising in ADR and private international law.
• Kaadambari Singh, Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India and Delhi High Court, formerly legal counsel of NHAI, Joint Programme Director.
• Atul Sharma, Executive Chairman, Dentons Link Legal, and team.
• Amit Kapur, Senior Partner and Chair of the National Disputes Practice, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.
• Prof. VT Chandra Shekhar Rao, former Dean of the L&T Institute of Project Management.
• K Venkatesh, former MD and CEO of L&T Infrastructure Development Projects.
• A. Ramasubramanian, Lead Consultant and Managing Director, Adroit Claims and ADR Consultants.
• Mahak Rathee, commercial mediator and Advocate-on-Record, Supreme Court of India.
• Dr. Rajiv Nehru, construction management professional currently advising Sobha Constructions LLC.

The fee is Rs 1,25,000 plus 18% GST. For corporate or government sponsors, a discount of 25% is applied to the total fee for groups of five or more participants sponsored by the organisation.

A Certificate of Diploma is issued by CADR, NLU Delhi to participants who maintain minimum 70% attendance and secure at least 50% marks in each exam and assignment.

Candidates apply online by filling in the application form on the NLU Delhi Open and Distance Learning portal at odl.nludelhi.ac.in and submitting a brief CV. Registration and submission of online applications with fees opened on 20 July 2026, and the last date for online submission is 15 September 2026.

A note on the dates: the timelines box in the brochure prints the commencement of the programme as 20 Sep 2025. That is an evident carry-over typo from the first batch, since the same brochure sets the duration as September 2026 to August 2027 and the last date to apply as 15 September 2026. Applicants should confirm the exact start date with CADR.