US Confirms India’s Entry into Pax Silica in February
A Strategic Leap for Secure AI Supply Chains
By R Anil Kumar
Washington DC, January 30, 2026. The United States has officially confirmed India’s forthcoming entry into Pax Silica, a pivotal US-led coalition aimed at fortifying global supply chains for artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg made the announcement on January, 29, at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC. He expressed enthusiasm about welcoming India next month, describing it as the induction of the world’s largest democracy into this strategic partnership.
Pax Silica, launched in December 2025, seeks to diminish reliance on non-aligned nations, particularly China, across critical sectors including minerals, energy, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and logistics.
The initiative embodies a new strategic paradigm where economic security intertwines with national defence. Helberg underscored that the AI race constitutes a fundamental contest over the 21st-century technological architecture, with adversaries weaponizing supply chains for coercion.
Initial signatories to the Pax Silica declaration comprised the US, Japan, Israel, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates acceded shortly afterwards as the eighth and ninth members, broadening the alliance’s footprint in the Middle East. Helberg highlighted ongoing discussions with potential partners across Europe, Asia, and the Western Hemisphere, emphasising nations with “unique capabilities and respect.”
India’s inclusion marks a historic milestone in US-India relations, building on remarks from US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. Earlier this week, Gor indicated on social media that New Delhi would receive an invitation to join, stressing the need for collaborative efforts in silicon supply chain resilience. Helberg echoed this in a post on X, praising Ambassador Gor and framing India’s pending entry as a decisive step towards secure supply chains.
This development carries added weight given India’s prior exclusion from the inaugural Pax Silica Summit in 2025, which sparked domestic political backlash. At that time, observers drew parallels to India’s later-stage involvement in initiatives like the Minerals Security Partnership. Now, with confirmation of February 2026 accession, India gains a pivotal seat in shaping future tech architectures.
Helberg outlined Pax Silica’s structure around three pillars: membership, policy, and projects. Membership expansion prioritises complementary strengths, such as Dutch lithography expertise, Taiwanese fabrication prowess, and—crucially—India’s vast software engineering talent pool alongside its burgeoning hardware manufacturing sector. This approach fosters functional working groups to deliver tangible outcomes, eschewing mere dialogue.
On policy, the coalition aligns export controls, investment screening, and research subsidies to prevent technology leakage to adversaries while granting preferential access among members. Projects target supply chain vulnerabilities, from critical minerals to AI data centres. Helberg positioned the alliance as a counter to dependency “leashes,” ensuring advanced AI remains in democratic hands.
For India, participation promises to accelerate domestic semiconductor ambitions, positioning the nation as an alternative manufacturing hub. With its strategic geography, skilled workforce, and policy pushes like indigenous production incentives, New Delhi complements the “nucleus” of manufacturing powerhouses such as Japan and South Korea. Analysts anticipate boosted investments in fabs and assembly lines.
The initiative reflects a broader evolution in US economic statecraft, shifting from reactive measures to proactive coalitions. By incorporating Middle Eastern energy-rich states and South Asian tech talent, Pax Silica transcends traditional Western alliances. Helberg stressed results-oriented focus, warning that without such unity, technological edges—and thus security—remain at risk.
As India prepares to join, expectations mount for specialised roles leveraging its software dominance and emerging hardware capabilities. This move not only hardens global supply chains but also elevates India’s geopolitical stature amid intensifying tech rivalries.
(Based on US Under Secretary on Economic Affairs, Jacob Helberg post on X)
