The General Counsels’ Association of India (GCAI) has concluded its flagship internship and mentoring programme, Youth Unchained Through Knowledge & Transformative Internships (YUKTI), with a convocation ceremony held at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
The closing ceremony was attended by industry leaders, including Pankaj Mithal, a judge of the Supreme Court of India and Harsh Malhotra, the minister of state for corporate affairs.
Speakers highlighted the importance of developing a future-ready legal profession capable of supporting governance reforms, strengthening institutions and responding to business and regulatory complexity.
Minister of law and justice Arjun Ram Meghwal highlighted the role of structured internships in developing legal talent, while Sasmit Patra, a member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha, encouraged students to integrate corporate law and technology knowledge to remain relevant. Former Supreme Court judge Hima Kohli discussed the growing role of women in shaping the profession’s future.
Speakers included Lalit Bhasin, a senior advocate and the president of the Society of Indian Law Firms, and Babita Ambekar, a partner at CMS, an international firm representing GCAI sponsors.
According to GCAI founder Akhil Prasad, the initiative was “a rare convergence of government, judiciary, academia and industry, treating law not merely as a profession but as a nation-building instrument rooted in ethics, governance and public purpose.”
Beyond experiential exposure, organisers emphasised mentoring as a core pillar of the initiative. Sanjeev Gemawat, the co-founder of GCAI, said mentoring and skills development are essential to producing lawyers who are not only technically proficient but also commercially aware and globally competitive.
A total of 119 law students from 21 universities received certificates and gold medals after completing the multi-week programme, which covered areas including dispute resolution, compliance and ethics. More than 70 faculty members drawn from government bodies, international law firms, arbitral institutions, corporate legal teams and audit firms contributed to the sessions.
Participating firms included Baker McKenzie, CMS, Dentons Link Legal, Hogan Lovells, Stewarts Law, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Aikyam Law Offices.
