New Delhi: In a significant development on the global technology front, India has formally joined the United States-backed strategic platform ‘Pax Silica’, aligning itself with a coalition aimed at strengthening semiconductor and AI supply chains. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit held at Bharat Mandapam, where India signed the declaration to become part of the emerging high-technology framework.
The signing took place in the presence of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, US envoy to India Sergio Gor, and US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg. The move brings India into a strategic grouping focused on building a secure and resilient ecosystem for semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.
Speaking after the ceremony, Vaishnaw credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for elevating India’s credibility on the global stage. He emphasised that the country’s IT capabilities, skilled workforce and consistent foreign policy approach have positioned it as a trusted technology partner. According to the minister, joining Pax Silica will help accelerate India’s ambitions in chip fabrication, design innovation and end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing.
Highlighting India’s technological momentum, Vaishnaw noted that policy continuity has allowed the country to build cumulative economic strength. He pointed out that Indian engineers are already engaged in cutting-edge work, including the design of advanced two-nanometre chips — a domain that places India among serious global contenders in semiconductor research.
The minister also drew attention to the global talent gap in the semiconductor sector, stating that the industry is projected to require nearly one million additional skilled professionals in the coming years. India, he said, aims to play a major role in meeting that demand through expanded training programmes and wider access to advanced chip design tools.
India’s inclusion in Pax Silica marks a shift from last year, when the United States unveiled the initiative with a select group of technology-driven economies but without New Delhi. That initial omission had sparked discussion in diplomatic circles, especially as fellow Quad members were part of the founding group.
The original coalition comprised the United States along with Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. The alliance was envisioned as a secure, innovation-focused network to safeguard critical supply chains in silicon technologies and artificial intelligence.
With India now on board, the framework expands its reach across the full technology value chain — spanning critical minerals, energy inputs, semiconductor fabrication, advanced manufacturing, data infrastructure and frontier AI systems. Participating countries are expected to collaborate on joint investments, address supply chain vulnerabilities and develop trusted digital ecosystems.
Strategically, Pax Silica is seen as part of Washington’s broader effort to reduce overdependence on concentrated supply networks and to build a coalition-driven economic architecture for the AI era. For India, the move strengthens its push to emerge as a global hub for semiconductor production and electronics manufacturing, supported by incentive schemes and deepening technology partnerships with like-minded nations.
The decision underscores New Delhi’s growing role in shaping the geopolitics of technology — not just as a market, but as a critical partner in the next phase of the global digital economy.
