What is an Arbitration Agreement? What is the form of making an arbitration agreement?

Meaning of Arbitration agreement – Chapter II – section 7 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 –

1. In this Part, ‘arbitration agreement’ means an agreement by the parties to submit to arbitration all or certain disputes which have arisen or which may arise between them in respect of a defined legal relationship, whether contractual or not.

       The form of an Arbitration Agreement –

2. An arbitration agreement may be in the form of an arbitration clause in a contract or in the form of a separate agreement.
3. An arbitration agreement shall be in writing.
4. An arbitration agreement is in writing if it is contained in-
5. a document signed by the parties;
6. an exchange of letters, telex, telegrams or other means of telecommunication which provide a record of the agreement; or
7. an exchange of statements of claim and defense in which the existence of the agreement is alleged by one party and not denied by the other.
8. The reference in a contract to a document containing an arbitration clause constitutes an arbitration agreement if the contract is in writing and the reference is such as to make that arbitration clause part of the contract.