Partner, Sharad Joshi along with Managing Associate, Rachit Verma and Associate, Naina Sharma recently authored an insightful article titled, ‘One Debt, Two Insolvencies: Supreme Court Rejects The “One Debt, One CIRP” Rule’.
The Supreme Court’s decision in ICICI Bank Limited & Ors v. Era Infrastructure (India) Limited & Ors. marks a significant development in India’s insolvency jurisprudence by decisively clarifying the permissibility of parallel insolvency proceedings against a principal borrower and its corporate guarantor. Departing from earlier restrictive interpretations, the Court has affirmed that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 does not impose a “one debt, one CIRP” limitation, thereby reinforcing the co-extensive nature of guarantee obligations. This ruling not only resolves a longstanding ambiguity but also strengthens creditors’ enforcement toolkit, while balancing concerns of procedural fairness through existing safeguards within the insolvency framework.
