I have been thinking a lot about India since the local bar association announced it will now allow foreign lawyers to open offices and operate on the ground. In making the long-awaited but sudden move, the country has forced itself onto the agendas of law firms around the world.

The irony is that international law firms have been petitioning for their presence in India for decades, yet when the Bar Council of India announced its decision to open up the country’s legal market, all firms were caught off guard.