If a husband wants a divorce but his wife refuses to agree to mutual consent, understanding his available options is genuinely important, and this mirrors the position discussed in relation to what a wife can do when her husband is unwilling to consent.

Given that mutual consent divorce under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 genuinely requires both spouses' voluntary and continuing agreement, a husband cannot compel his wife's consent, and any attempt to pressure her would be both legally counterproductive, since courts specifically verify voluntariness at each stage, and ethically inappropriate.

The first worthwhile step, before proceeding to more adversarial litigation, is understanding why his wife is refusing, since her reluctance might stem from unresolved concerns about specific settlement terms, such as maintenance, custody arrangements, or property division, and engaging in genuine, good-faith negotiation, potentially with the assistance of a mediator, may address these concerns and lead her to reconsider her position.

If her reluctance instead reflects a genuine hope for reconciliation, it is worth the husband considering whether professional marriage counselling might be worth exploring, particularly if this has not already been genuinely attempted, since reconciliation, where authentically possible, generally serves everyone's interests better than continued litigation.

If genuine agreement remains unachievable despite these efforts, the husband retains the alternative path of pursuing a contested divorce under Section 13(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act, provided he can establish one of the specific recognised fault-based grounds through evidence: cruelty under Section 13(1)(ia), desertion under Section 13(1)(ib) requiring two years of continuous abandonment without reasonable cause, adultery under Section 13(1)(i), or other specific statutory circumstances.

If the husband has a valid basis for one of these grounds, his advocate can help assess the strength of his case and prepare a properly supported petition, though this route is inherently more adversarial, time-consuming, and expensive, typically extending over a year and sometimes considerably longer depending on complexity and the specific court's caseload.

If the husband does not have a clear basis for any specific fault-based ground, but the marriage has simply and genuinely broken down without specific fault attributable to either party, "irretrievable breakdown of marriage" is not, by itself, an independently recognised statutory ground under the ordinary Family Court framework, though the Supreme Court has, in exceptional cases, exercised its unique constitutional powers under Article 142 to grant divorce on this basis, though this remains an extraordinary remedy available only through the Supreme Court itself.

Throughout this process, it is worth the husband maintaining a respectful and measured approach, since a contested proceeding pursued with genuine restraint sometimes eventually encourages a more amicable resolution, potentially even converting to mutual consent at a later stage.

Given how much depends on correctly assessing the wife's underlying reasons and whether a valid basis exists for a contested petition if agreement remains unachievable, it is genuinely valuable to consult an experienced family law advocate. You can reach out via Aapka Legal Advice for guidance on approaching this situation constructively, and for assessing whether a valid basis exists to pursue a contested divorce.

You can review Top Divorce Lawyers in India | Aapka Legal Advice for relevant experience.

Many people find real value in obtaining an independent, experienced perspective from the panel of retired judges available through certain legal consultation platforms.

If formal legal representation is required, engaging an experienced advocate will ensure the most effective and realistic path forward is pursued.

In summary, if a husband wants a divorce but his wife refuses to consent to mutual consent divorce, he should first explore whether genuine negotiation regarding her underlying concerns might resolve the impasse, but if this proves unsuccessful, he can pursue a contested divorce under Section 13(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act by establishing a specific fault-based ground such as cruelty, desertion, or adultery through the ordinary trial process.