Amazon calls for dialogue with India’s Future amid raging legal dispute

Amazon.com Inc on Thursday proposed a dialogue with its warring partner Future Group to end legal battles over a contractual dispute that has soured relations between the two sides. Amazon's counsel Gopal Subramanium made the proposal during a hearing before India's Supreme Court, where he said the "whirlpool" of litigation was being dragged for too long. In response, a counsel for Future Group agreed to hold talks with Amazon. Read More...

By Aditya Kalra and Abhirup Roy

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc on Thursday proposed a dialogue with its warring partner Future Group to end legal battles over a contractual dispute that has soured relations between the two sides.

Amazon’s counsel Gopal Subramanium made the proposal during a hearing before India’s Supreme Court, where he said the “whirlpool” of litigation was being dragged for too long.

“All that I’m saying is lets at least have a conversation. We cannot allow the spinners’ wheel to continue like this,” Subramanium told the court.

In response, a counsel for Future Group agreed to hold talks with Amazon. The judges said the two sides can take 10 days to reach a possible solution.

Amazon has successfully stalled Future’s $3.4 billion asset sale to Indian rival Reliance since 2020 by citing violation of certain contracts. Future denies any wrongdoing, but the U.S. firm’s position has been backed by a Singapore arbitrator and Indian courts so far.

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra in New Delhi; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)