India Opens the Door (Slightly): What the BCI’s New Rules Really Mean for Foreign Law Firms
In “BCI opens the Indian legal market: Now what?”, co-written by Jashaswi Ghosh, Counsel at Holon Law Partners, and Vaishali Movva, Staff Attorney at Eimer Stahl LLP, the authors analyze the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) 2025 decision to open India’s legal market to foreign lawyers and law firms—albeit in a limited, tightly regulated way.
The new rules permit foreign firms to practice foreign and international law in India under specific conditions, such as the “fly-in, fly-out” model (capped at 60 days per year), and participation in international arbitration. However, advising on Indian law or litigating remains strictly off-limits. While some see this as a step toward globalization, others note the high entry barriers and symbolic nature of the move.
The piece explores whether foreign law firms will view the Indian market as worth the cost and complexity, and argues that the Rules may serve more to encourage deliberate engagement and relationship-building than immediate market expansion. It also reflects on how this may push Indian firms toward greater international alignment.
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👉 BCI opens the Indian legal market: Now what?
