Volleyball Federation of India must pay over INR 7 Crore: Madras High Court upholds Arbitral award in Baseline Ventures dispute
VFI had filed its challenge, seeking to set aside the arbitral award dated November 21, 2020.
Madras High Court dismisses Volleyball Federation of India’s plea challenging the arbitral award in dispute with Baseline Ventures & orders it to pay the Rs 4 crores plus 12% interest with an additional Rs 2.5 lac. VFI liable to pay over Rs 7 crores to Baseline
The Hon’ble High Court of Madras has upheld an arbitral award dated 21 November 2020 in relation to a commercial dispute arising out of an agreement for the organization & conduct of 2019 Pro Volleyball League, ordered Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) to pay dues amounting to over Rs. 7 Crores as on date to Baseline Ventures.
The court, through its order dated 17 February 2026, dismissed the petition filed under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 challenging the award.
In its ruling, the court noted that the arbitrator’s findings were based on a careful interpretation of contractual provisions, evaluation of evidence, and well-established legal principles governing arbitration.
With the dismissal of the petition, the arbitral award stands confirmed and as a result, Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) have been ordered to pay Rs. 4 Crores + 12% interest from commencement of arbitral proceedings till payment, Rs. 5 lakhs arbitration costs, & Rs. 2.50 lakhs additional payment as court costs amounting to a little over Rs 7 Crores as on date.
The High Court judgement was delivered by Hon’ble Justice N Anand Venkatesh on 17th Feb, 2026.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tuhin Mishra, MD & Co-Founder, Baseline Ventures said, “From day one, we knew that Baseline has been on the right side & were wrongly treated.
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We always have full faith in our judicial process and our fight was not just a fight for our own reputation but we were fighting for the rights of the volleyball players of India & for the sport in general.
This is a positive moment for everyone who believes sport must always put athletes and it’s ecosystem first. The professional league was created to build a professional platform for players, coaches and its fans, and it is heartening to see our vision being upheld in the court of law.
We only hope this serves as a reminder that the growth of any sport depends purely on decisions made in the interest of its players, coaches and the overall ecosystem.”
What was the Madras High Court’s decision in the VFI-Baseline Ventures case?
The Madras High Court dismissed the petition filed by the Volleyball Federation of India challenging the arbitral award and upheld the ruling in favour of Baseline Ventures.
How much money has VFI been ordered to pay?
VFI has been directed to pay INR 4 crore along with 12% interest from the start of the arbitral proceedings until payment, INR 5 lakh towards arbitration costs, and INR 2.5 lakh as additional court costs, taking the total payable amount to over INR 7 crore as of now.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute stemmed from a commercial agreement related to the organisation and conduct of the 2019 Pro Volleyball League.
Under which law did VFI challenge the award?
VFI had filed its challenge under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, seeking to set aside the arbitral award dated November 21, 2020.
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Alex graduated in mass communication in 2016 and has been covering global sports for Khel Now since then. He is covering sports tech, igaming, sports betting and casino domain from 2017.