India’s courts are among the most overburdened in the world with 50 million cases pending, a backlog that is estimated to cumulatively take 300 years to resolve. Over 87% of this pendency lies with resource constrained district and subordinate courts, where judicial processes remain fragmented, manual, and paperwork-heavy. For millions of citizens, this translates into delayed justice and eroded trust in the system. Over 70% of India’s prison population, among the highest proportions globally, consists of undertrials: people who have not been convicted of a crime but remain incarcerated while their cases move slowly through the courts. Many are trapped in prolonged legal processes simply because they lack access to timely, quality legal aid.

Much of this delay is rooted in administrative overload which includes manual paperwork, fragmented records, and slow information flow across courtrooms, all of which stretch hearings and prolong cases. Adalat AI is tackling this challenge head-on by using AI to transform courtroom processes in ways that fit smoothly into existing digital systems and judicial workflows, making adoption practical and effective. Its tech ecosystem automates transcription, digitises records, streamlines workflows, and provides real-time updates, reducing delays and making justice faster and more accessible. In just two years, they have scaled to 3,500+ courtrooms across 9 states, helping judges and court staff overcome bottlenecks in case management to reduce resolution times.

With ACT’s support, Adalat aims to expand to 7,500 active courtrooms by 2027, while simultaneously focusing on depth of usage to ensure impact. To achieve its scale and impact goals, ACT’s grant will enable Adalat AI to:

1. Strengthen on-ground implementation muscle by expanding state-level operations teams to work closely with key stakeholders and drive engagement among the judiciary
2. Expand its product ecosystem by launching a WhatsApp chatbot to give litigants simple, direct access to case information, and by introducing a document summarization and navigation tool that will help improve courtroom efficiency

With robust tech and operations, Adalat AI will focus on building a clear pathway for long-term integration into the judicial system, creating the foundation for India’s end-to-end justice tech stack. We’re excited to support Adalat AI in reimagining how justice is delivered in India, making it faster, more transparent, and more accessible, particularly for citizens from underserved communities.