Insolvency crisis: 2500 bankruptcy cases, but where are the judges?

A streamlined bankruptcy process is crucial for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempts to come to grips with a simmering banking crisis that's sucking the energy out of India's economy

India’s revamped bankruptcy process is in full swing and investors from Blackstone Group LP to Oaktree Capital Group LLC are salivating over an estimated $210 billion of stressed assets that are up for grabs. But the courtrooms handling the thousands of bankruptcies are lacking a key component: Judges.

Ten benches with a combined 26 judges and technical staff are hearing more than 2,500 insolvency cases, the latest official data show. Based on the workload a year ago, researchers estimated India needs about 80 benches over five years. That estimate is starting to look conservative, as tighter rules introduced by the banking