India, Dec. 7 -- Global trade governance is undergoing its most profound transition in three decades. Technology, climate policy, and geopolitics are reshaping commerce faster than institutions can cope. The World Trade Organization (WTO)-once the anchor of predictability-is struggling to adapt, as members explore new coalitions and alternative platforms for rulemaking.

This is the backdrop against which India's WTO strategy must be assessed. The institution is no longer the slow-moving but stable arena New Delhi once navigated. It is now a contested space-part negotiation chamber, part exit lounge-where some members still push for reform while others quietly prepare for life beyond it. In such a landscape, India's decisions will shape n...