The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved 107 Resolution Plans during the second quarter of Financial Year 2026-27, the highest number approved by the Tribunal in any quarter since its inception.

The figure was disclosed by NCLT members at a press conference on Wednesday, where the Tribunal presented its quarterly performance and discussed issues including pendency and vacancies.

The figure is also the highest number of Resolution Plans approved by the NCLT in a second quarter. The Tribunal had approved 78 Resolution Plans in the first quarter of FY 2026-27, taking its total approvals during the first half of the financial year to 185. The first-quarter figure itself was the highest recorded by the NCLT for an April-June quarter.

The 107 Resolution Plans approved in the second quarter involved an aggregate approved plan value of more than ₹11,000 crore, NCLT members said at a press conference on Wednesday to present the Tribunal's quarterly performance.

The NCLT had approved 60 Resolution Plans in the second quarter of FY 2025-26, 57 in the corresponding quarter of FY 2024-25, 82 in FY 2023-24, 47 in FY 2022-23, and 20 in FY 2021-22. The latest figure therefore marks a substantial increase over the previous second-quarter high of 82 approvals.

With 107 approvals in the second quarter, the cumulative number of Resolution Plans approved by NCLT Benches reached 1,735 as of September 30, 2026. This follows 1,628 approvals recorded as of June 30, 2026, after the 78 plans approved during the first quarter. The first-quarter report also recorded an aggregate approved plan value of ₹5,517.66 crore.

The performance comes amid continuing concerns over vacancies and delays in the approval of Resolution Plans.

During the press conference, Issues were raised about the pendency and vacancy of members to which NCLT members stated that often the resolution plan is derailed after frequent applications are filed but attempts are being taken to smoothen the process.

It may be recalled that a bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan had described the "systemic delays" in approval of the resolution plan by the NCLT, particularly its Principal Bench in New Delhi, as "grim". Another three-judge bench then took another suo motu cognizance of the delay in appointments of members and infrastructure issues.

Justice Pardiwala's bench recorded that 363 applications for approval of resolution plans are currently pending, with delays ranging from 48 days to 738 days. The Chairman pointed out that as of September 30, 335 resolution plans are pending, out of which 24 have been stayed.

As for the pendency, against a sanctioned strength of 62 Members, in addition to the President, the present working strength is 48 Members, leaving 14 vacancies. The members mentioned that by the end of December, there will be in total 18 vacancies.

As to the vacancy of members, the NCLT acknowledged that the situation is gripping, but he reasoned that since the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code came in 2016, along with company matters, other matters are also to be taken up by them.

They advocated for increasing the sanctioned strength, stating that with increased strength the NCLT may consider setting up special benches to deal with real estate plans. They also advocated for pre-mediation to decrease pendency.

The members said: "The shortage of members has an impact on the functioning of Courts, with 13 Courts presently functioning on a full-day basis and 18 Courts functioning on a half-day basis. Further, 4 more Members are due to demit office by the end of the current calendar year."

The Tribunal has maintained this performance alongside the continuing filing of applications seeking approval of Resolution Plans.

As of 30 September 2026, 294 Resolution Plans were pending consideration for approval, while orders had been reserved in respect of a further 41 Resolution Plans. Thus, 335 matters were at these two stages as on that date. This represents a reduction in the number of applications awaiting approval when compared with the position noted by the Supreme Court in April 2026.

The improvement in performance has been accompanied by a series of administrative and institutional measures undertaken in recent months to strengthen case-flow management, streamline Registry processes and make effective use of the judicial resources available to the Tribunal.

Strengthening monitoring of pendency and disposal

The NCLT, with 16 Benches functioning across the country, has put in place a more robust mechanism for collection and monitoring of data relating to pendency and disposal across all its Benches and Courts.

The new reporting mechanism provides a real-time and holistic picture of the workload and pendency across the Benches and Courts, enabling the Tribunal to take more informed decisions on redistribution of cases, wherever required. This has facilitated better utilisation of the limited judicial resources available to the Tribunal.

Structured listing and case-flow management

The Tribunal has also introduced a new framework for registration and listing of cases with the objective of bringing greater uniformity in Registry practices and ensuring more systematic preparation of Cause Lists. The framework provides for appropriate prioritisation of older pending matters, including priority to IBC admission matters and applications relating to approval of Resolution Plans.

The framework was developed after consultation with the Bar and is intended to facilitate orderly listing, better utilisation of judicial time and expeditious disposal of cases. The Tribunal has also undertaken measures for constitution of Special Benches wherever required, redistribution of workload and efforts to maximise the available Court time.

Technology-enabled access to justice

As part of its continuing digital transformation, the NCLT has also launched e-Inspection and e-Certified Copy services, providing advocates, litigants and other stakeholders convenient and faster access to judicial records and certified copies. The initiatives form part of the broader digital transformation of the Tribunal, which also includes the revamped NCLT website and the ongoing implementation of e-Courts 2.0.

Notwithstanding these institutional constraints, the Tribunal has stated that it continues to focus on effective utilisation of the judicial resources and infrastructure available to it, while taking measures to strengthen case management and reduce avoidable delays.

The press conference was concluded with NCLT members stating that they are committed to continuous institutional improvement, with emphasis on timely disposal, efficient case management and optimal utilisation of available judicial and administrative resources.

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