



India at inflection point: Seizing leadership in changed global trade landscape
Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected].The global trading system is undergoing a profound transformation.
The earlier assumptions of seamless globalization, stable supply chains and predictable geopolitical alignments are rapidly fading. In its place, a new world is emerging—one shaped by strategic rivalries, regional trading blocs, technological competition and reliable supply chains.For India, a fast-growing major economy aiming to become a global manufacturing and export hub, this shifting landscape presents both formidable challenges and significant opportunities.
The manner in which we respond to these changes will determine whether we simply adapt to external shifts or actively position ourselves to lead in the new global order.At the heart of this lies the deepening strategic rivalry between the US and China. As the two largest economies compete for technological and geopolitical dominance, global supply chains are being reconfigured.Companies worldwide are increasingly adopting “China+1” strategies to diversify risks, and this opens an opportunity for India to position itself as a credible, large-scale manufacturing alternative.Simultaneously, the rise of regional trade agreements such as Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) signals a move toward trade regionalization, while varying reciprocal tariffs on countries, innovated by the US and followed by Mexico, hit at the basic tenets of the Most Favored
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