The Bombay High Court has accepted for consideration a case that could lead to the arrest of assets belonging to Italy’s engineering giant Tecnimont in India, pulling the country directly into a high-value international construction dispute with potentially wide-ranging implications and putting at risk critical national projects in the refining, petrochemical and energy sectors

The proceedings were initiated by Russian fertilizer giant EuroChem, which has asked the Indian court to recognise and enforce a judgment of a Moscow court ordering the recovery of approximately $2.2 billion from Tecnimont and its Russian subsidiary MT Russia, both part of Italy-based MAIRE.

As part of the enforcement request, EuroChem has sought the arrest of MAIRE group assets in India up to the full amount of the Russian judgment.

From a Russian court ruling to asset arrest proceedings in India

The dispute originates from Tecnimont’s failure to deliver one of Europe’s largest ammonia and urea production plants in Kingisepp, Leningrad Region, where MAIRE group entities acted as contractors. In November, the Moscow commercial court ruled that the contractors had failed to fulfil their obligations and ordered the recovery of unworked advances, interest for the use of funds and damages resulting from the collapse of the project.

With the Russian judgment now in force, EuroChem has begun pursuing enforcement in jurisdictions where the MAIRE Group maintains operational and financial presence. India is among the first where formal court action has been launched.

Assets targeted for arrest in India

According to the filing, the enforcement request in India covers a broad range of MAIRE-related assets, with a total claimed value of $2.2 billion (around INR 190 billion). These include:

• 100% of the shares of Tecnimont Private Limited (TCMPL), the group’s Indian subsidiary

• Intercompany receivables owed by TCMPL to its parent, estimated at around €23 million

• Claims under long-term intercompany loans exceeding €18.7 million

• Cash balances held in Indian banks, including Kotak Mahindra Bank, BNP Paribas and Standard Chartered

• Payments due under major EPC contracts with Indian public and private counterparties, including Indian Oil Corporation Limited, OPaL, HMEL and Sembcorp Green Hydrogen India

While the Bombay High Court has not yet imposed interim restrictions, the case has been formally admitted and a hearing on the merits is scheduled for 15 January 2026.

Why India has been drawn in

The legal basis for the proceedings lies in the bilateral treaty on legal assistance in civil and commercial matters between Russia and India, signed on 3 October 2000. The treaty provides a mechanism for the recognition and enforcement of court judgments between the two countries.

EuroChem has described the Indian proceedings as a “logical and consistent step” in a broader enforcement strategy aimed at ensuring compliance with Russian judicial decisions in jurisdictions where the MAIRE Group conducts business. The company has also indicated that it is evaluating similar actions in other regions, including BRICS countries, the CIS, Africa and the Middle East. Russia maintains agreements on mutual recognition of court decisions with 96 countries.

Tecnimont’s role in India — and why it matters

Tecnimont is not a marginal player in India. Through its Indian subsidiary, the company is involved in large EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) packages critical to the country’s refining, petrochemical and energy transition programmes. These include work for Indian Oil Corporation Limited at major refineries in Gujarat, Odisha (Paradeep) and Bihar (Barauni), downstream petrochemical projects for OPaL, refinery-linked developments for HMEL, and participation in emerging green hydrogen and biogas initiatives.

Such projects are closely tied to India’s strategic objectives: upgrading fuel quality, expanding domestic chemical production, strengthening energy security and reducing reliance on imports. They also involve complex financing structures, long execution timelines and close coordination with state-owned and private Indian partners. As a result, any legal or financial disruption affecting a major EPC contractor operating at this scale can have implications extending beyond a single dispute.

A growing risk signal for India’s project economy

While the litigation is formally between foreign entities, its progression in Indian courts highlights broader risks for India:

• Indian-based assets can become targets in global enforcement actions

• Cross-border disputes can spill into domestic jurisdictions

• Strategic infrastructure projects may face indirect legal and financial exposure

• Investor and lender confidence can be affected by prolonged, multi-jurisdictional litigation

As India continues to rely on international EPC contractors for its industrial expansion, the Tecnimont case illustrates how disputes originating abroad can evolve into local legal and economic issues.

What comes next

The Bombay High Court is expected to hear the case on its merits in January 2026. The enforcement proceedings — and the potential arrest of MAIRE group assets in India — are now to be regarded as a test of how global disputes intersect with India’s courts, projects and economic priorities.