$~61 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI # CNR No. DLHC010410422026 + ARB.P. 1557/2026 CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE PTE LTD .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Gagan Kumar Singhal and Mr. Suresh Chaudhary, Advocates versus AAKHYA MEDIA SERVICES PVT LTD .....Respondent Through: Mr. Gagandeep Kulyana, Mr. Abhishek Sharma, Ms. Manisha Saharan, Mr. Harpreet Singh Kohli, Mr. Tarun Bhati and Mr. Girish Bhardwaj, Advocates CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUBRAMONIUM PRASAD O R D E R % 02.09.2026 I.A. 23933/2026 (Exemption) Allowed, subject to all just exceptions. ARB.P. 1557/2026 1. The instant petition under Section 11(6) of the Arbitration & Conciliation Act, 1996 has been filed by the Petitioner for appointment of an Arbitrator to adjudicate upon the disputes which have arisen between the parties. 2. It is the case of the Petitioner that the Petitioner and the Respondent entered into a PR Services Agreement on 28.07.2025. It is the case of the Petitioner that the Respondent had represented themselves to be an experienced professional in the field of media consultancy, branding and This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 07/09/2026 at 11:07:13 public relations services. As per the Agreement, the Respondent was to undertake various strategic public relations activities, including conducting Relationship Building Meetings (RBMs) with editors and journalists, facilitating placement of Opinion Pieces/Authored Articles in reputed publications, generating opportunities for media coverage, conducting industry tracking and news monitoring, providing strategic communication guidance and preparing communication material such as press releases and media notes. It is stated that disputes arose between the parties due to failure on the part of Respondent to perform the work as per the terms of the Agreement. 3. It is stated that despite deficiency in the services of the Respondent and non-performance on their part, invoices raised by them were paid by the Petitioner, totalling to a sum of Rs.2,25,000/- in good faith. 4. It is stated that despite payment, there were still persistent breaches by the Respondent. Accordingly, the Petitioner issued a legal notice dated 06.02.2026 to the Respondent regarding non-performance of services and for refund of the amount of Rs.2,25,000/-. Disputes still subsist between the parties in relation to the fulfilment of obligations under the Agreement and the invoices generated by the Respondent. 5. It is stated that Clause 15 of the Agreement contains an arbitration clause wherein the parties have decided to resolve their disputes through arbitration. The seat of arbitration is in Delhi. 6. It is stated that a notice under Section 21 of the Arbitration & Conciliation Act was issued by the Petitioner on 26.03.2026, which has been replied to by the Respondent. It is stated that since no consensus was arrived at between the parties regarding appointment of an arbitrator, the Petitioner This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 07/09/2026 at 11:07:13 has approached this Court by filing the present petition seeking appointment of an Arbitrator. 7. Issue notice. 8. Learned Counsel for the Respondent accepts notice. Service is complete. 9. Accordingly, Mr. Tarang Gupta, Advocate, (Mob No: 7838983455) is appointed as the Sole Arbitrator to adjudicate upon the disputes between the parties. 10. The arbitration would take place under the aegis of the Delhi International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and would be subject to its rules and regulations. The learned Arbitrator shall be entitled to fees as per the Schedule of Fees maintained by the DIAC. 11. The learned Arbitrator is also requested to file the requisite disclosure under Section 12(2) of the Arbitration & Conciliation Act, 1996, within three weeks of entering reference. 12. All rights and contentions of the parties in relation to the claims/counter-claims are kept open, to be decided by the learned Arbitrator on their merits, in accordance with law. 13. Needless to state, nothing in this Order shall be construed as an expression of this Court on the merits of the contentions of the parties. 14. The present Petition stands disposed of in the above terms along with pending application(s), if any. SUBRAMONIUM PRASAD, J SEPTEMBER 02, 2026 hsk This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 07/09/2026 at 11:07:13