The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) is a quasi-judicial institution constituted by the Central Government under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013. It was established on June 1, 2016, as part of a major corporate adjudicatory reform. The NCLAT was created to provide a single, specialized appellate forum for corporate disputes, replacing the fragmented system that previously involved the Company Law Board and High Courts, thereby aiming for speedy resolution.
The NCLAT primarily functions as the appellate authority for orders passed by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Its jurisdiction was significantly expanded to connect it to other major economic laws. It hears appeals against orders of the NCLT under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC), effective from December 1, 2016. Furthermore, the NCLAT hears appeals against directions, decisions, or orders from the Competition Commission of India (CCI). This jurisdiction over the CCI was added by an amendment to Section 410 through Section 172 of the Finance Act, 2017, effective from May 26, 2017, which also resulted in the merger of the erstwhile Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT). The NCLAT also hears appeals against orders of the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), a jurisdiction added by Section 83 of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2017, effective from May 7, 2018. Appeals against the NCLAT's orders lie directly with the Supreme Court of India.