The Secretariat is comprised of a CEO, Registrar/Secretary-General and a team of case managers.
Prior to founding the Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration, Madhukeshwar Desai studied law at Christ College, Bangalore and practised for four years at PXV Law Partners - a leading corporate law firm. In addition to his role as CEO, Madhukeshwar currently acts as an advisor to the Maharashtra Basketball Association, the Basketball Federation of India and the Government of Maharashtra on various matters of law and policy.
Prior to joining MCIA, Neeti has extensively worked in the field of International Commercial Arbitration, both as a private practitioner representing clients and as an administrator, facilitating the dispute resolution procedure. Neeti's past professional experience includes working with some of the top Indian Law Firms like Trilegal and Economic Laws Practice. She has also worked at the International Arbitration Department of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Paris Office, besides being judicial clerk for Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Muralidhar of Delhi High Court.
Neeti has also worked with LCIA India as its First Deputy Registrar. She is also active in the academic circle and is an academic advisor at KIIT Law School, Orissa. Neeti is also a guest faculty at HNLU Raipur and at National Law University, New Delhi. Ms Sachdeva has obtained a Masters in International Commercial Arbitration from Stockholm University, and has also undertaken a course in Private International Law from the Hague Academy of International Law, The Hague. She is regularly invited as a speaker at various conferences and conducts workshops in the field of arbitration. She is an office bearer at the IBA Arbitration Committee and regularly sits as an Arbitrator too.
Madhukeshwar Desai is the Founder and CEO of the Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (MCIA), established in 2016 to position India as a leading global seat for institutional arbitration. A lawyer by training, he has guided MCIA’s growth into a trusted platform for domestic and international dispute resolution by bringing together key stakeholders from the judiciary, business, government, and the legal profession in India and abroad. His work focuses on strengthening arbitration standards, governance, and global engagement, while advancing India’s credibility as a modern arbitration hub.
Prior to joining MCIA, Neeti has extensively worked in the field of International Commercial Arbitration, both as a private practitioner representing clients and as an administrator, facilitating the dispute resolution procedure. Neeti’s past professional experience includes working with some of the top Indian Law Firms like Trilegal and Economic Laws Practice. She has also worked at the International Arbitration Department of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Paris Office, besides being judicial clerk for Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Muralidhar of Delhi High Court.
Neeti has also worked with LCIA India as its First Deputy Registrar. She is also active in the academic circle and is an academic advisor at KIIT Law School, Orissa. Neeti is also a guest faculty at HNLU Raipur and at National Law University, New Delhi. Ms Sachdeva has obtained a Masters in International Commercial Arbitration from Stockholm University, and has also undertaken a course in Private International Law from the Hague Academy of International Law, The Hague. She is regularly invited as a speaker at various conferences and conducts workshops in the field of arbitration. She is an office bearer at the IBA Arbitration Committee and regularly sits as an Arbitrator too.
