The highlight was a signature googly to saw through Handik Pandya and leave the hosts flailing at 67 for four at the start of the 10th over.
He also cut the run flow against two of India's finest limited overs batsmen, Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Munro and Sodhi will have enhanced their chances of securing Indian Premier League contracts as a result.
Trent Boult's dismissal of both openers in the second over was also key.
His actions meant India always struggled against a demanding required run rate.
Munro joined Brendon McCullum and West Indians Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis as those to score two centuries in T20 internationals.
He combined with Martin Guptill (45 runs off 41 balls) in a 105-run opening stand.
Munro's command was emphatic on a surface offering bowlers minimal assistance. He also showed touches of finesse glancing debutant Mohammed Siraj through his legs in the 15th over and paddling him fine in the 17th.
Siraj could take solace that he was delivering on a wicket which suggested the groundsman moonlights as a batsman. If the New Zealanders hit through the line, their chances of missing the sweet spot were negligible.
Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar offered some parsimony among the Indian bowlers. Bumrah conceded 23 runs and Kumar 29 from their allotments.
However, New Zealand consumed a diet of greedy overs. They took 17, 16, 20 and 14 off the fifth, eighth, 11th and 13th respectively.
Munro endured a couple of dicey moments. He was dropped by Yuzvendra Chahal on 79 off Kumar in the 16th and avoided a run out calamity at the end of the 12th when Rohit Sharma picked up and threw wildly at the striker's end.
The start to India's innings was delayed due to a lighting fault before Boult surgically removed Shikhar Dhawan's middle stump and had Rohit Sharma chase a ball angling across him to edge into Glenn Phillips' gloves. The hosts were reeling at 11 for two.
New Zealand premier pace bowler finished with figures of four for 34.
Kohli, with his 18th T20 half century, and Shreyas Iyer, with 23 off 21, put on 54 off 40 balls to right the chase.
Cue Munro to break the partnership.
Iyer swung one of his deliveries high and, as it began a freefall of Felix Baumgartner proportions, Munro circled underneath.
The all-rounder was living proof cricket hath no determination like a player chasing their own caught-and-bowled.
India needed 100 runs from the last seven overs.
Kohli (65 off 42 balls) and Dhoni (49 off 37) offered hope, but a tighter New Zealand bowling and fielding performance where only Colin de Grandhomme conceded more than 8.50 runs an over made them worthy victors.
