India, Dec. 24 -- Amid trade uncertainty owing primarily to tariff weaponisation, countries have made trade deals their lifeboats. India, too, needs these deals as much as others, but the country also finds itself in a sweet spot, given its large market and relatively sound economic performance and outlook. Countries and blocs that would have otherwise not yielded to Indian positions in trade talks are now more willing to make concessions. India's trade deal with New Zealand, concluded on Monday, is evidence of this. India did not join the RCEP some years ago, given its red-lines on dairy and agriculture - among other asks - were not accommodated; Australia and New Zealand, both top exporters in these sectors, were part of that deal. The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand protects India's dairies and farmers, while all Indian goods get zero-duty access. It also allows easier entry and stay for Indian service-sector professionals and students, apart from a commitment from New Zealand to invest $20 billion in India over five years. The FTA is meaningful for India for at least three reasons. One, this keeps up the momentum on trade agreements - important amid a shifting paradigm on international trade and the WTO-shaped hole in upholding the global trade governance. To that end, the deals with the UAE, the UK, Australia, and Oman, inked in recent months provide a foundation for more. Two, it is another cushion for Indian exporters amid the trade churn; the more India secures its interests in markets other than the US - even as it works on a deal with it - the easier it will be to sustain robust growth. And three, the deal tells those eyeing the Indian market that the country must be convinced that its interests are protected in any give-and-take agreement....