In July 2011, the Ministry of Law and Justice appointed Nariman as the Solicitor General of India for a period of three years.
He withdrew his candidature[18] following media reports which said the Central Government was objecting to his appointment because of his alleged links with corporate lobbyist Nira Radia.
In 2015, Subramanium appeared for business tycoon Mohammed Nisham, for his bail plea in the Supreme Court of India.
The businessman was accused of running over a security guard with his Hummer SUV over a delay in opening the gates of his apartment.
On October 9, 2015, the SC bench led by Justice Dipak Misra dismissed the arguments of senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who appeared for Nisham.
[19] In 2015, Subramanium argued for greater literary and artistic freedom in the case Devidas Ramachandra Tuljapurkar v. State of Maharashtra.
[4] In 2017, he represented Japan's Daiichi Sankyo in enforcement proceedings before the Delhi High Court for a US$550 million ICC award with the seat at Singapore.
[20] Between 2016 and 2019, Subramanium assisted the Court as Amicus Curiae in the case BCCI v. Cricket Association of Bihar on the implementation of the Justice Lodha Committee recommendations.
Subramanium is a Supplementary Judge of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, as well as an Honorary Bencher at Gray's Inn, London.
He is also a psychologist and sociologist, who has long been involved in the research into mental health disorders including clinical depression, Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia.
[31] Subramanium is a benefactor of Somerville College, University of Oxford, where he supports the postgraduate studies of students from India.
Subramanium is a Classical Music Patron at London's Southbank Centre, an Ambassador of mental health charity SANE, and Honorary Director of the All India Heart Foundation.
He was instrumental in conducting "National Consultation for Strengthening the Judiciary towards Reducing Pendency and Delays" and facilitated the incorporation of a Special Purpose vehicle, "Society for Delivery of Justice and Legal Reform".