In short. Delhi doesn't have one commercial court. Every judicial district has its own District Judge (Commercial Court), sitting in one of six complexes: Tis Hazari, Patiala House, Karkardooma, Saket, Rohini or Dwarka. They take suits from Rs 3 lakh up to Rs 2 crore. Anything bigger goes to the Delhi High Court on Sher Shah Road. Which complex you end up in depends on where the defendant does business, or where the cause of action arose. You can work that out in a day. Mediation and filing then take a few months. Start with the addresses printed on your invoices.
Is this your situation?
- You're ready to file a commercial suit in Delhi. You just don't know which of the court complexes to walk into.
- The summons says District Judge (Commercial Court), and then a district name you've never heard used for your area.
- Your customer's office is in one corner of Delhi and the goods went to its godown in another. Which court does that mean?
- A letter says you have to attend Section 12A mediation, and it isn't clear where the mediation centre actually is.
- With interest, your claim has crept up close to Rs 2 crore, and now you're unsure if it's a district court case or a High Court one.
- You've never set foot in a Delhi district court and you'd like to know what you're walking into on the first date.
Where Delhi's commercial courts actually sit
Ask ten people where Delhi's commercial court is and you'll get ten answers. That's because there isn't one building. Delhi is split into eleven judicial districts, and each of them has at least one District Judge's court designated as a Commercial Court under Section 3 of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015. You'll find those courtrooms in six complexes: Tis Hazari, Patiala House, Karkardooma, Saket, Rohini and Dwarka. Their range is suits with a specified value of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 2 crore.
Above Rs 2 crore, a commercial suit goes to the Commercial Division of the Delhi High Court, on Sher Shah Road near India Gate. Appeals from the district commercial courts go to the High Court too, before its Commercial Appellate Division. So the real question for most business owners isn't where the commercial court in Delhi is. It's which of the six complexes, or the High Court, will take their case. That's what the rest of this page sorts out. Once your suit is filed, our page on the Delhi district commercial courts explains how it moves.
The six complexes and the districts each one covers
| Court complex | Where it is | Judicial districts | Typical areas (a rough guide; always confirm by police station) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tis Hazari | Old Delhi, close to Tis Hazari metro (Red Line) and Kashmere Gate | Central, West | Karol Bagh, Daryaganj, Paharganj, Rajouri Garden, Punjabi Bagh, Kirti Nagar |
| Patiala House | By India Gate, a few minutes from the Delhi High Court | New Delhi | Connaught Place, Parliament Street, Chanakyapuri, parts of central New Delhi |
| Karkardooma | East Delhi, near Anand Vihar; Karkarduma Court metro (Pink Line) | East, North East, Shahdara | Laxmi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Mayur Vihar, Shahdara, Seelampur, Gandhi Nagar |
| Saket | Pushp Vihar, next to the Saket District Centre | South, South East | Saket, Mehrauli, Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar, Okhla, Kalkaji, Nehru Place, Lajpat Nagar |
| Rohini | Rohini, in North West Delhi | North, North West | Rohini, Pitampura, Model Town, Azadpur, Narela, Bawana |
| Dwarka | Sector 10, Dwarka | South West | Dwarka, Najafgarh, Palam, Vasant Kunj, Kapashera |
Tis Hazari and Rohini: north and west Delhi
Tis Hazari is Delhi's oldest district complex and still its busiest. It sits in Old Delhi, a short walk from the Tis Hazari metro station and the Kashmere Gate bus terminal. The Central and West districts sit here. That's why so many claims from the wholesale markets of central Delhi, and from the trading and small factory belts of west Delhi, end up before the Tis Hazari commercial court. The corridors are packed. The cause lists are long. Give yourself extra time just to find the courtroom. Our guide on a commercial court lawyer near Tis Hazari Court covers the kind of suits usually filed there.
Rohini, out in North West Delhi, houses the North and North West districts. Its commercial courts hear disputes from the sectors of Rohini and Pitampura, the Azadpur area, and the industrial clusters further out at Narela and Bawana. If you supply a factory in one of those industrial areas, there's a decent chance the buyer's address, the delivery point and the bank where payment was due all fall inside the Rohini complex's districts. That makes the territory question easy. It's a nice change.
Many disputes with businesses along the Outer Ring Road commercial strip, and in the Netaji Subhash Place office towers, are also heard at Rohini, depending on the police station. Say your customer has its office in one of those towers and its warehouse in Bawana or Narela. Both addresses may still lead to the same complex. You'll have saved yourself an argument about territory on day one.
Saket and Dwarka: south and south west Delhi
The Saket complex is at Pushp Vihar, right beside the Saket District Centre, and it houses the South and South East districts. So the Saket commercial court gets a lot of disputes from the offices and showrooms of Nehru Place, Okhla, Kalkaji and Lajpat Nagar, and from the business areas around Saket and Hauz Khas. A big share of Delhi's service, IT and office lease disputes come here. Why? Because so many companies keep their registered or corporate offices in these parts of the city. Our guide on a commercial court lawyer near Saket Court goes into filing there.
Dwarka's complex, in Sector 10, covers the South West district. That means Dwarka itself, Najafgarh, Palam, Vasant Kunj, and the airport and Kapashera belt. Warehousing, logistics and air cargo disputes tend to come here, along with claims against businesses based in the Dwarka sub-city. It's newer than Tis Hazari and much roomier. Most first-timers find it easy to get around.
Karkardooma: the commercial courts across the Yamuna
Karkardooma, near Anand Vihar, carries three districts: East, North East and Shahdara. It even has its own metro station on the Pink Line, spelt Karkarduma Court. The Karkardooma commercial court hears disputes from the trading hubs of Gandhi Nagar and Shahdara, the shopping streets of Laxmi Nagar and Preet Vihar, and the hundreds of small manufacturers and distributors spread across East and North East Delhi.
The complex sits almost on the Ghaziabad border. Because of that, businesses in Kaushambi, Vaishali and Indirapuram sometimes assume a dispute with a customer in East Delhi will be heard in Ghaziabad. Not necessarily. It turns on territory. If the defendant carries on business in East Delhi, or the goods were delivered there, Karkardooma is probably the right court, even if you're sitting across the border. Our guide on a commercial court lawyer near Karkardooma Court covers the practical side of filing in East Delhi.
Patiala House, and why Rouse Avenue usually isn't the answer
Patiala House, near India Gate, is home to the New Delhi district. Its commercial courts hear disputes from Connaught Place, the government and corporate offices of central New Delhi, Chanakyapuri and the areas around them. Plenty of standard form contracts say that only "courts at New Delhi" will have jurisdiction. If that clause is valid, and the New Delhi district has some link to the deal, it can pull a case into Patiala House even when both sides do business elsewhere in Delhi.
Rouse Avenue, near ITO, is the newest complex. People sometimes think it picks up whatever isn't obviously sent anywhere else. It doesn't. It's mainly known for special courts, like the ones for CBI and other agency cases and cases involving legislators, and commercial suits aren't normally filed there. Court allocations do shift now and then. So before you file or attend, check the relevant district court's website to see where its commercial courts are sitting at the moment.
Over Rs 2 crore: the Delhi High Court Commercial Division
Big suits skip the district courts. The Delhi High Court Act, 1966 gives the High Court original civil jurisdiction once a suit's value goes past Rs 2 crore, and commercial suits of that size are registered in its Commercial Division with a CS(COMM) number. IP suits of that value are taken by the High Court's IP Division instead. You'll find the building on Sher Shah Road, a stone's throw from India Gate and Patiala House. Inside, it's another world. The original side rules, the way filing is done and the way matters get listed have little in common with Saket or Tis Hazari. Our page on the Delhi High Court Commercial Division describes how it works.
Don't assume the Rs 2 crore figure. Look it up. In July 2026 the Full Court of the High Court recommended that the district courts be allowed to hear suits up to Rs 10 crore, up from Rs 2 crore. Nothing changes until the Delhi High Court Act itself is amended, and to our knowledge that hadn't happened as of October 2026. If and when it does, a large number of suits that go to the High Court today will be heard in the six complexes instead. We're tracking it in the guide on which court hears a commercial dispute above Rs 2 crore.
How territory picks your complex
Within Delhi, the rule that sends a suit to one district or another is Section 20 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. It gives you a few options. Sue where the defendant actually and voluntarily resides or carries on business. Or sue where the cause of action arose, wholly or in part. For an unpaid bill, a slice of the cause of action can arise at the place the contract was struck, the place the goods landed or the work was done, or the place the money should have been paid. District boundaries follow police station limits. So it boils down to one practical question. Which thana covers each of those spots?
Quite often there's more than one right answer. Take a spare parts dealer in Mayapuri that sells to a transport company in Shahdara. Tis Hazari works, because that's where the dealer accepted the orders and expected the money. Karkardooma works too, because that's where the transporter runs its business and received the parts. Go where your territorial proof is tidiest, and say so plainly in the plaint. Woolly jurisdiction paragraphs draw objections. Then the first few dates are wasted arguing about them.
When Advocate B.K. Singh has two possible complexes in front of him, the first thing he looks at is the delivery address on the e-way bills and delivery challans, and which police station covers it. An e-way bill is a government record generated at the time of supply. A defendant can't easily dispute it later when territory is challenged. Our page on which commercial court will hear your case goes deeper into jurisdiction clauses and value.
Finding your commercial court in Delhi, one step at a time
Go through this before you apply for mediation. The mediation happens through the legal services authority of the district where you'll file, so you need the district first.
Make sure it's commercial and worth Rs 3 lakh or more
Check that the dispute falls under Section 2(1)(c) of the Commercial Courts Act, and that principal plus interest up to filing comes to at least Rs 3 lakh. Below that, it's an ordinary civil court case.
Check which side of Rs 2 crore you're on
Over Rs 2 crore, the suit goes to the Delhi High Court and not to a district complex. Confirm the limit on the day you actually file.
Write down every address that matters
The defendant's registered office and place of business. The delivery or service address. Where the order was accepted. The bank branch where payment was due.
Match each address to a police station
Find the police station for each one. The district court websites, or the filing sections, can tell you which judicial district a police station falls under.
Look for a jurisdiction clause
A clause giving exclusive jurisdiction to courts at one place is generally enforced if that place has some link with the deal. It might narrow you to one district. It might even take the case out of Delhi.
Pick the district and plead it
Choose the district where your territorial facts are strongest and backed by documents. Then say in the plaint exactly why that court has jurisdiction.
Apply for mediation there
Send your Section 12A pre-institution mediation application to the District Legal Services Authority of that district. The only exception is a case that really needs urgent interim relief.
E-file in the same district
Once mediation is over, e-file the plaint choosing the same district and the commercial court case type. Pay the court fee online.
Section 12A mediation: finding the mediation centre
For a district court suit, pre-institution mediation is run by the District Legal Services Authority of the district where you'll file. Its mediation centre is usually inside the same complex. So a Saket suit gets mediated at Saket, and a Karkardooma suit at Karkardooma. The application sets out the parties and the claim briefly. The Authority then sends notice to the other side and gives a date.
Two kinds of report end a failed mediation. A no-show by the other side, after notice, gets you a non-starter report. If they come but nobody agrees, the mediator gives a failure report. You file whichever one you get along with the plaint, and the mediation period doesn't count against limitation. Heading for the High Court instead? Ask what the current arrangement is for High Court suits before applying. The process and the fee are on our page on legal services authorities and Section 12A mediation.
Time and costs once you know your court
| Stage | Usual time (not a promise; depends on the district and the defence) | Costs other than the lawyer's fee |
|---|---|---|
| Working out the right complex | A day or two, if you have the documents with you | None |
| Section 12A mediation at the District Legal Services Authority | Up to 3 months, plus 2 more if both sides agree; non-starter reports often come sooner | Mediation fee under the 2018 Rules; check the current figure |
| E-filing, court fee and scrutiny | 1 to 4 weeks, depending on objections | Ad valorem court fee under the Court Fees Act, 1870 as it applies in Delhi; check the current schedule |
| First listing before the commercial court | Usually a few days to a few weeks after scrutiny clears | Process fee for summons |
| Written statement | 30 days from service, 120 days at the very most | Cost of serving summons |
| Case management, evidence and arguments | Often 12 to 24 months if the suit is fought | Certified copies, witness costs, local commissioner's fee if one is appointed |
| Trips to the complex | Several dates over the life of the case | Travel and parking; certified copy charges at the copying agency |
What's inside a Delhi district court complex
Each complex has a filing section that takes both e-filed and counter filings for its districts. Next to it, usually, is an e-Sewa Kendra. Staff there help lawyers and litigants with e-filing, scanning, e-signing and case details. Somewhere in the building is a copying agency for certified copies. The District Legal Services Authority has its office and mediation centre on the premises, and the chambers blocks house most of the local bar.
On the cause list, and on the board outside the courtroom, the commercial courts show up as "District Judge (Commercial Court)" with a number and the district name. For example, DJ (Commercial Court)-02, South. Suits are numbered CS (COMM). Security checks at the gate are routine. Carry photo ID and expect a queue in the morning. A vakalatnama filed in Delhi carries an advocates' welfare fund stamp, and your lawyer takes care of that.
What to bring on your first visit
- A government photo ID. Security won't let you through the gate without one.
- The case number or e-filing number, plus the courtroom and item number from that day's cause list.
- A copy of the plaint or the summons, and the most recent order sheet.
- If you're there for a company or firm, the board resolution or authority letter.
- The Section 12A non-starter or failure report, if you're handling the filing.
- Originals only if your lawyer asked for them, with a list of exactly what you've brought.
- Your lawyer's or the munshi's mobile number. Finding a courtroom in a big complex can take a while.
On the day: cause lists, courtrooms and timings
The next day's cause lists usually go up on the district court websites in the evening. They show the courtroom, the judge and each case's item number. Cases are generally called in list order, though the court may take some out of turn. Courts usually start around 10 am. Check the timings on the district website anyway, because they can differ for different kinds of matters and on Saturdays.
Advocate B.K. Singh tells clients coming to a commercial court for the first time to check the cause list the night before for the courtroom and item number. Then check it again in the morning. A judge on leave, or a court moved to another floor or another complex, can send your matter somewhere else for the day. Get there early. Keep your phone on silent inside. And let your advocate do the talking unless the judge speaks to you directly.
The court can allow video appearance on some dates, at its discretion, and a lot of routine steps happen online now. Evidence and important arguments are still mostly in person. If you're a witness in a commercial suit, plan on coming to the complex for cross-examination.
Keeping track of your case from your office
Your case gets a CNR number, unique to it, the moment it's registered in any Delhi district court. Type that into the eCourts services site or the app and you can see the next date, which court it's in, and every order uploaded so far. Cause lists and orders are on the district court websites as well. Ask your lawyer for the CNR number early. Our guide on checking your commercial case status online in Delhi courts walks through the screens.
Online status helps. It doesn't replace hearing from your lawyer. The order can show up online a day or more after the hearing, and it won't tell you what was said in court or what you need to get ready for the next date.
Commercial courts just outside Delhi
Is the defendant in Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram or Faridabad, not Delhi? Then the case usually belongs over there. On the UP side, Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida and Greater Noida) runs its district court out of Surajpur, and Ghaziabad has a district court of its own. On the Haryana side, Gurugram and Faridabad do too. None of these districts splits cases at Rs 2 crore the way Delhi does. A commercial suit of Rs 3 lakh or more stays in the district court whatever its size. Appeals go up to the Allahabad High Court or the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and you pay court fee on the UP or Haryana schedule.
For the courts nearest Delhi's eastern border, see our pages on the Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) commercial court and the Ghaziabad commercial court.
Where people go wrong with Delhi's commercial courts
- Going to whichever complex is closest to the office. Being near isn't jurisdiction. If neither the defendant nor any part of the cause of action is in that district, the suit can be returned, and those months are gone.
- Mediating in one district, filing in another. Your Section 12A application should go to the authority of the district where you'll actually file. Decide the court first.
- Forgetting that interest shifts the line. Rs 1.9 crore in principal can cross Rs 2 crore once interest is added, and then it's a High Court suit. In the same way, a Rs 2.8 lakh claim can cross Rs 3 lakh and turn into a commercial suit.
- Never reading the back of the invoice. Printed lines like "subject to Delhi jurisdiction" or "courts at New Delhi only" can decide the district. The other side's lawyer will read them, even if you haven't.
- Assuming Rouse Avenue or the High Court is the fallback. Neither one catches everything. The High Court takes suits above the limit, and Rouse Avenue mostly houses special courts.
An invented example: an Okhla printer and a Pitampura publisher
This one is made up. A commercial printing firm in Okhla Industrial Area prints textbooks for a publisher whose office and warehouse are in Pitampura. Purchase orders come by email from Pitampura and are accepted at Okhla, and payment is due into the printer's account at its Okhla branch. By the end of a school season, Rs 1.4 crore is unpaid. Add interest at the agreed rate and the claim is about Rs 1.62 crore on the likely filing date.
That's above Rs 3 lakh and under Rs 2 crore, so it's a district commercial court suit, not a High Court one. The order was accepted in Okhla and payment was due there, which points to the South East district at Saket. But the publisher does business and took delivery in Pitampura, which points to Rohini. The invoices say nothing about jurisdiction. The printer's lawyer picks Saket. That's where the firm's witnesses and records are, and the acceptance emails and bank statements prove the territorial facts directly.
The printer goes to the District Legal Services Authority at Saket for mediation. The publisher shows up a single time, proposes paying over a long stretch of instalments, and the talks fail. So the suit is e-filed before the South East district's District Judge (Commercial Court). Had interest pushed the total over Rs 2 crore, the same papers would have been filed in the Delhi High Court. Again, this is invented. Real choices depend on the documents.
What to do this week
Pull out the invoices, purchase orders, e-way bills and bank statements. On one sheet, note four addresses: the defendant's office, the delivery point, the place the order was accepted, and the place payment was due. Total up principal and interest and see where you stand against Rs 2 crore. Those two facts, read against the table near the top, will usually leave you with one complex, two at most. The Act and the rules don't change from complex to complex. Once you've found your court, what our page on Delhi's district commercial courts says about procedure applies to you. All that differs is the filing counter and the mediation centre.
Already been served? The summons tells you the court. Note the date you were served and the next date, and get the plaint and documents to your lawyer straight away.
If you'd like Advocate B.K. Singh to look over your invoices and contract and tell you which court your case belongs in, or you want to hear when Delhi's pecuniary limits change, you can get in touch through the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a separate commercial court building in Delhi?
No. The commercial courts are courtrooms of District Judges, designated as Commercial Courts, inside the ordinary district court complexes. Bigger suits are heard in the Delhi High Court building on Sher Shah Road.
Which court hears a commercial suit against a company in Connaught Place?
Usually the New Delhi district's commercial court at Patiala House, if the suit is up to Rs 2 crore and you're relying on where the defendant carries on business. If part of the cause of action arose somewhere else in Delhi, another district may have jurisdiction as well.
Can I just file at the complex nearest my office?
Only if your office's location gives that court jurisdiction, say because the order was accepted there or payment was due there. Convenience doesn't decide the court. Section 20 of the CPC does, along with any valid jurisdiction clause.
What does DJ (Commercial Court) mean on a cause list?
It's the court of a District Judge designated as a Commercial Court under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015. The number after it tells you which particular court in that district.
Where do I go for Section 12A mediation for a Saket suit?
To the District Legal Services Authority for that district. Its mediation centre is usually in the Saket complex itself. Your lawyer files the application, and the notices go out to the other side from there.
Does the Rs 2 crore limit include interest?
Yes. Under Section 12 of the Commercial Courts Act, the specified value of a money claim includes interest worked out up to the date of filing. A principal just under Rs 2 crore can cross the line once interest goes on.
Can a case move from one Delhi complex to another?
Yes. The District Judge or the High Court can pass a transfer order, or the plaint can be returned for lack of territorial jurisdiction and filed in the right district. Courts also get shifted for administrative reasons, so always look at the latest cause list.
Is Karkardooma the right court for a Ghaziabad business?
It can be, if the defendant carries on business in the East, North East or Shahdara districts, or the cause of action arose there. If both the defendant and the deal are in Ghaziabad, the Ghaziabad district's commercial court is usually where you file.
Advocate B.K. Singh
Founder of B.K. Singh & Associates. MCA, LL.B., LL.M. More than twenty years in practice before the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court, district and commercial courts in Delhi NCR, and tribunals.
This guide explains the law in general terms and is not legal advice. For advice on your own papers, contact the team.