The December 2025 issue of the IIFT-International Business & Management Review (IBMR) is published at a time when the global trading system is undergoing profound structural realignments. The post-pandemic recovery has been uneven, geopolitical tensions have intensified, and the long-standing assumptions of frictionless globalization are being recalibrated. Trade policy, investment flows, supply chain configurations, and cross-border business strategies are increasingly shaped by concerns of resilience, strategic autonomy, sustainability, and national security. In this evolving landscape, international business scholarship must respond with analytical depth, global perspective, and policy relevance. Global trade today is no longer driven solely by cost efficiency and market expansion. Instead, firms and governments are navigating a complex matrix of geopolitical risk, technological disruption, regulatory divergence, and sustainability commitments. The rise of digital trade, data governance regimes, green trade measures, and regional trade agreements is redefining how value is created and exchanged across borders. At the same time, shifts in global production networks through near-shoring, friend-shoring, and diversification strategies have brought renewed attention to trade resilience, logistics, and institutional coordination. These changes demand a rethinking of international business models and trade frameworks that account for both economic efficiency and systemic stability.

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), with its core focus on trade, investment, and global business, is uniquely positioned to contribute to this discourse. IBMR functions as a platform for advancing research that bridges theory, policy, and practice in international business and management. The contributions in this issue reflect diverse perspectives on global trade dynamics, strategic decision-making in multinational enterprises, cross-border finance, regulatory environments, and the evolving role of emerging economies in the global economic order. Collectively, they offer insights into how firms and policymakers can respond to uncertainty while fostering sustainable and inclusive growth. A recurring theme across this issue is the growing interdependence between trade, technology, and sustainability. Digitalization is transforming trade facilitation and market access, while climate imperatives are reshaping production standards, trade policies, and investment decisions. These forces are compelling businesses to integrate environmental and social considerations into their global strategies, not as compliance requirements but as sources of long-term competitiveness. Equally important is the human and institutional dimension of global business, where leadership, governance, and international cooperation play a critical role in navigating disruption and transition. Through this 2025 issue, IBMR seeks to contribute to informed debate on the future of global trade and international business in a fragmented yet interconnected world. We hope the research and perspectives presented here stimulate critical thinking, support evidence-based policymaking, and enrich academic and practitioner engagement with global economic challenges. As international trade and business continue to evolve, IBMR remains committed to disseminating rigorous, relevant, and globally grounded scholarship that advances understanding and shapes responsible global business practices.

Sheeba Kapil

Editor-in-Chief

International Business & Management Review (IBMR)

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade

sheebakapil@iift.edu