To take from the title of a book by Amartya Sen, India is the argumentative nation.1 Many countries have viewed it as arrogant, reputed for its lecturing and moralizing.2 Within the WTO, it is tagged for being obstructionist.3 It has fiercely defended its sovereignty, and in the case of trade, its imposition of high tariffs and other trade barriers to protect domestic producers. After the WTO’s creation, India quickly found itself on the defensive. To respond, it needed to develop trade law capacity as part of state capacity. It gradually did so, and it used both offensive and defensive means to defend its exports and support its vulnerable sectors such as agriculture and textiles.