Baba Kalyani to decide on mediation by April 15; sister Sugandha onboard

The Bombay high court has urged the feuding Kalyani family to consider mediation in a high-value dispute over a decades-old agreement. Hearing the case on Friday, Justice Rajesh Patil suggested that the siblings, Baba Kalyani, chairman of Bharat Forge; Sugandha Hiremath, director of Hikal; and Gaurishankar Kalyani, director of Kalyani Forge, attempt to resolve not only this dispute but also related intra-family cases pending across courts in Pune, Wai, and Karad.

Sugandha told the court she was open to mediation, despite a previous failed attempt. The court has listed the matter for April 15, by which time Baba and Gaurishankar must indicate whether they agree to appoint a mediator to settle all cases.

At the heart of the dispute is a 1994 family agreement, the enforcement of which Sugandha has sought before the court. She claims Baba failed to transfer his 34% stake in Hikal as stipulated in the agreement. Baba denies that any such clause exists and has challenged the maintainability of her suit.

In 2024, Sugandha’s children, Sameer Hiremath and Pallavi Swadi, sought a share of the Kalyani family’s ancestral wealth, estimated at over Rs 1 lakh crore, in a Pune court and proposed mediation. The court referred the matter to the District Legal Services Authority, which later reported that the mediation had failed.

The Bombay high court’s push reflects a broader judicial trend favouring mediation in complex family business disputes, where financial stakes and personal relationships often collide. In a similar instance last month, the Delhi high court urged family members of the late Sunjay Kapur to explore mediation to resolve disputes over his estate.

“I believe family matters should be resolved privately, and it has been distressing to see ours unfold publicly,” said Sugandha. “I hope we can come together for an amicable resolution, which is what our parents would have wanted, and I remain hopeful my brothers will see merit in this approach.”