'Dependency is being used as a leash': US spells out why India matters to Pax Silica

The US says India’s induction will strengthen secure AI and semiconductor supply chains as Pax Silica expands beyond its initial East Asian core.

• India to formally join US-led Pax Silica in February 2026
• India's entry marks a historic milestone for global AI and semiconductor supply chains.
• Pax Silica seeks to secure tech supply chains, cut reliance on non-aligned nations.

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India will formally join Pax Silica in February 2026, the US has confirmed, marking a strategic shift in the architecture of global AI and semiconductor supply chains.

US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said India’s induction into the US-led initiative would expand the coalition beyond its original manufacturing nucleus and secure critical parts of the AI and silicon ecosystem, according to ANI.

Speaking at the Hudson Institute, Helberg said the partnership is moving rapidly to include countries with “unique capabilities” essential to economic and national security.

“We look forward to welcoming India next month,” Helberg said, adding that Pax Silica is focused on “results, not dialogue for its own sake,” according to ANI.

Launched in December 2025, Pax Silica is a US-led initiative aimed at securing global supply chains for AI, semiconductors, critical minerals, energy inputs, and advanced manufacturing. The goal is to reduce dependence on non-aligned nations and prevent coercive leverage over strategic technologies.

While the original core focused on manufacturing-heavy economies such as Japan and South Korea, Helberg said India’s inclusion is essential to secure the broader supply chain, from software engineering and AI infrastructure to emerging hardware and semiconductor ambitions.

India’s entry is being positioned as a “historic milestone,” giving New Delhi a seat at the table as the “architecture of the 21st century” is shaped, ANI reported.

India had been left out of the inaugural Pax Silica Summit in 2025, a move that triggered political criticism at home. The February induction marks a reversal and reflects a broader US push to widen the alliance beyond the traditional Western bloc.

The declaration establishing Pax Silica was initially signed by the US along with Japan, Israel, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Qatar and the UAE later joined as the eighth and ninth signatories, underscoring the initiative’s expanding geographic reach.

Helberg has described the effort as a response to intensifying global competition over AI and advanced technologies.

“This AI race is a fundamental struggle for the architecture of the 21st century,” Helberg said, warning that supply chains are increasingly being “weaponised” as tools of political coercion, according to ANI.

The coalition is working to align export controls, investment screening, and R&D subsidies to ensure that trusted technologies do not leak to adversaries. It also aims to give member nations preferential access to critical components and infrastructure.

Helberg said Pax Silica will operate through functional working groups that leverage the strengths of each partner — citing examples such as Dutch lithography, Taiwanese fabrication, and Indian software capabilities.

Earlier this week, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said New Delhi would be invited to join Pax Silica during his visit, calling the move essential as new technologies reshape global power dynamics.

India’s inclusion is expected to support domestic semiconductor manufacturing ambitions and position the country as an alternative production hub amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Analysts note that the move mirrors India’s gradual integration into other strategic frameworks, such as the Minerals Security Partnership, and reflects Washington’s shift toward proactive coalition-building on economic security rather than reactive market measures.