The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to deposit ₹646.78 crore with the court by 6 November in its dispute with Reliance Industries Ltd over construction delays at the Jio World Convention Centre project. According to reports from Mint, a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu passed the order while hearing MMRDA's challenge to an April 2026 Bombay High Court judgment that directed it to refund the amount to Reliance. The court has also issued notice to Reliance Industries, promoted by Mukesh Ambani, seeking its response to the allegations raised by MMRDA in its appeal against the high court judgment.
The dispute concerns a 75,000-square-metre plot allotted by MMRDA to Reliance in 2006 for the development of a convention and exhibition centre and a commercial complex at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). As reported by Mint, the lease required construction to be completed within four years, but the project was subsequently expanded and required additional approvals. MMRDA alleged delays and issued a demand in September 2017, citing a delay of seven years and 12 days, followed by a further demand of ₹1,116.83 crore in June 2019. The dispute stems from an agreement where MMRDA had leased the BKC plot to the conglomerate for a period of 80 years.
On 8 April 2026, the Bombay High Court quashed MMRDA's demands, ruling that the four-year construction deadline should be counted from the date the company received an effective commencement certificate rather than the date of the lease agreement. According to Mint, the high court also found that MMRDA had not given Reliance adequate prior notice specifying when the deadline would expire or a proper opportunity to respond before recovering the penalty. The court then directed MMRDA to refund ₹646.78 crore deposited by Reliance and ordered the release of a bank guarantee worth about ₹1,312 crore. The High Court had granted protection from coercive action to Reliance in December 2017.
The Supreme Court issued notice to Reliance, seeking its response to the allegations raised by MMRDA in its appeal against the high court judgment. As reported by Mint, the next hearing is scheduled for 18 November. MMRDA later challenged the ruling in the Supreme Court, arguing that the high court changed the terms of the original agreement, while Reliance argued it had deposited ₹646.78 crore under protest and faced pressure from MMRDA to pay by threatening delays in occupation certificates. The apex court will hear MMRDA's plea against Reliance Industries and others on November 18.
The Jio World Convention Centre, part of Reliance's Jio World Centre in BKC, opened in March 2022. According to Mint, the larger development spans 18.5 acres, while the convention centre has a stated area of around 103,012 sq. metres, comprising exhibition halls, convention halls, a ballroom and meeting rooms. The high court judgment records that Reliance paid a total premium of ₹4,005 crore for the leased plot and additional development rights, which relates to the land and permitted development area, not the centre's construction cost. The ₹646.78 crore amount was deposited by Reliance as an additional premium penalty.