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Harish Salve Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth22 June 1955

Age69 Years (as of 2024)

BirthplaceWarud, Dhule district, Maharashtra

ProfessionLawyer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseTrina

FamilyDaughters: Saaniya Salve and Sakshi Salve

Harish Salve Biography

Harish Salve is an Indian senior advocate known for high-profile constitutional, commercial and tax litigation. A former Solicitor General of India and Pad

Early life and background

Harish Salve was born on 22 June 1955 in Warud, Dhule district, Maharashtra. He was raised in a household that, by his own account, embraced liberal secular values. His father, N. K. P. Salve, was a politician and his mother, Ambriti Salve, was a doctor. He attended St. Francis de Sales High School in Nagpur and went on to earn a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Nagpur University in 1975. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in 1978 and completed an LLB from Nagpur University in 1980.

Salve has described early career influences that shaped his interest in taxation and law, including his family’s engagement with income-tax practice and his exposure to the eminent tax lawyer Nani Palkhivala.

Career

Harish Salve began his legal career in 1980 as an intern at JB Dadachandji & Co in Delhi and later became a full-time lawyer there. He worked with former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee for six years between 1980 and 1986 and assisted on landmark matters early in his practice. Over time he developed a reputation as a specialist in constitutional, commercial and taxation law and became a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India.

He was appointed Solicitor General of India on 1 November 1999 and served in that office until 3 November 2002; he declined the government’s offer to extend the term for a further three years. During his tenure and thereafter he represented the Indian government in significant matters, including the country’s first anti-dumping case and the BALCO privatization dispute.

Salve has been involved in numerous high-profile cases. In 2002–03 he acted in matters arising from the Gujarat riots, including being appointed amicus curiae by the Supreme Court to assist with investigations and later urging a fresh inquiry into the Bilkis Bano rape case and relocation of the trial. He has represented corporate clients and individuals in a range of disputes: he acted for Vodafone in its $2.5 billion tax dispute, ultimately prevailing in the Supreme Court after an earlier loss; he represented Keshub Mahindra in litigation connected to the Bhopal disaster; he was part of the defence in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder matter; and he represented Salman Khan in the 2002 hit-and-run case during the 2015 proceedings that resulted in the actor’s acquittal.

Internationally, Salve has been active in arbitration and international courts. He was appointed to the Singapore International Commercial Courts Committee and to the Court of Arbitration at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre. He is a member of the London Court of International Arbitration and was nominated by India to the Permanent Court of Arbitration. In July 2013 he joined Blackstone Chambers in London. In May 2017 he represented India at the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case; for that representation he accepted a token fee of one rupee. In January 2020 he was appointed Queen’s Counsel for the courts of England and Wales.

Salve has been approached for the office of Attorney General on more than one occasion but has declined the offer. He has also acted for large corporate groups, including Reliance Industries, Tata Group and ITC, and has appeared in disputes such as the Krishna–Godavari basin gas conflict between Reliance entities.

Public profile

Salve was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2015. India Today ranked him among the country’s most powerful people in 2009. He is known for taking on a mix of public-interest assignments and commercial mandates and has at times served as amicus curiae in environmental and other matters; on some occasions he has stepped back from such roles because of prior connections to parties before the court.

His personal interests include playing the piano, and he has spoken of an aspiration to teach at Oxford one day. He has professional and personal friendships with prominent businessmen and media figures.

Personal life

Harish Salve is married and practices Christianity. He has two daughters, Saaniya Salve and Sakshi Salve. His family includes a sister, Aruna Upadhyaya, and a legal pedigree that extends to his grandfather, P. K. Salve, who was a criminal lawyer.

Controversies and challenges

Throughout his career Salve has faced public scrutiny on occasion. Allegations and questions have been raised about conflicts of interest in certain assignments, and he has had to respond publicly to accusations relating to his roles in litigation and advisory work. He has also publicly defended his integrity in the face of such claims.

Latest updates

In August 2024 the Indian Olympic Association appointed him to represent wrestler Vinesh Phogat at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in relation to her disqualification and medal allocation; subsequently, Salve stated that the athlete chose not to pursue an appeal of the CAS decision and declined further action.

Salve continues to maintain an active practice in India and abroad, combining courtroom advocacy with arbitration and international litigation work.
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Recent Work

Representation of India at the International Court of Justice (Kulbhushan Jadhav case)

Represented India before the ICJ in May 2017; accepted a token fee of one rupee for the matter.

2017
Queen’s Counsel appointment

Appointed Queen's Counsel for the courts of England and Wales.

2020
Representation for Vinesh Phogat at CAS (appointed by IOA)

Appointed in August 2024 to represent the wrestler at the Court of Arbitration for Sport; the athlete later chose not to challenge the CAS ruling.

2024
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Career Highlights

  1. Solicitor General of India (1999–2002)
  2. Padma Bhushan recipient (2015)
  3. Represented India at the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case (2017)
  4. Appointed Queen’s Counsel for England and Wales (2020)
  5. Led Vodafone’s successful appeal in India’s Supreme Court in a high-value tax dispute
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Harish Salve born?

22 June 1955

What is Harish Salve known for?

Lawyer

What is Harish Salve’s marital status?

Married

Who is Harish Salve married to?

Trina