India joins US-led 'Pax Silica' tech supply chain bloc at AI Summit

India joins US-led Pax Silica coalition at AI Summit in Delhi, strengthening cooperation on critical minerals, semiconductors and artificial intelligence supply chains

India on Friday joined the US-led 'Pax Silica' initiative by signing a declaration at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, becoming part of a coalition aimed at building resilient supply chains for critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI).

 

The declaration was signed by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw and US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor was also present at the ceremony.

 

At the signing, Helberg said, "Pax Silica is a declaration that future belongs to those who build and when free people join forces."

 

Gor said, “India’s participation is described as strategic and essential, citing its engineering talent, mineral processing strides, and role in strengthening US-India tech cooperation. The partnership seeks to advance trusted AI globally, emphasising that peace comes through strength.”

 

Vaishnaw highlighted India’s semiconductor ambitions, saying, "Today, our talented engineers are designing the most complex, most advanced 2-nanometer chips here in India. We all know that the semiconductor industry will need about 1 million more talented people. Where will that talent come from? This will come from here."

 

"The country has a direction, a clear goal, and we have to take global leadership in the semiconductor industry and the electronics industry," he added.

 

What is Pax Silica?

 

Launched by the US in December 2025, Pax Silica is positioned as a strategic framework to safeguard and diversify global supply chains linked to AI and advanced technologies. The initiative spans the full silicon value chain, including critical minerals, energy inputs, semiconductor fabrication, AI infrastructure and logistics systems.

 

According to the US State Department, the programme is intended to reduce coercive dependencies, secure materials and capabilities vital for AI, and help partner nations expand emerging technologies through trusted networks.

 

India was not a part of the original group of participants, comprising the US, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

 

India’s inclusion comes weeks after the two countries announced an interim trade deal that lowered tariffs on Indian imports to the US from 25 per cent to 18 per cent.

 

While the Pax Silica Declaration does not name China, the initiative is widely viewed as part of broader US efforts to lessen strategic reliance on countries that dominate critical minerals and semiconductor supply chains.  (With inputs from agencies)