The US has rolled out Pax Silica, a new high-tech and AI supply chain initiative with a small circle of allies. The surprise isn’t who’s in. It’s who isn’t: India, a country Washington routinely calls a 'strategic partner' in the Indo-Pacific.
That absence has set off a political skirmish at home and a deeper strategic debate: is this a snub, a timing issue, or a signal about how the US is redrawing the technology map?
What exactly is Pax Silica?
According to the US State Department, Pax Silica is its flagship effort on AI and supply chain security. Think of it as a framework to lock down the entire technology stack that powers modern artificial intelligence, from critical minerals and energy to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure and logistics.
The name matters. 'Pax' evokes stability and order; 'Silica' points straight to chips and computing. The subtext is clear: this is about who controls the inputs and choke points of the AI era.
Who’s in the club
As per reports cited by the Congress and other public disclosures, the countries associated so far include the US, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UK, Israel, the UAE and Australia.
These are not random picks. Each hosts at least one critical node in the AI value chain, chipmaking equipment, advanced fabs, defence-linked tech, or trusted logistics and finance hubs.
What Pax Silica is really trying to do
- Strip away the branding and Pax Silica has three hard objectives:
- Reduce dependence on China for critical tech inputs and manufacturing
- Secure materials and capabilities essential for AI and advanced computing
- Align trusted partners on standards, investment screening and supply-chain resilience
This is the same 'friend-shoring' logic Washington has used in chips, clean energy and export controls, but now bundled under a single AI-centric umbrella.
Congress vs Modi: the political reading
Congress seized on the reports to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with party general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh saying India’s exclusion from Pax Silica was 'not very surprising' and linking it to what he described as a 'sharp downturn' in Trump-Modi ties.
In a post on X, Ramesh said the development came a day after the Prime Minister had publicly described his phone call with US President Donald Trump as 'warm and engaging,' adding that India’s inclusion in the initiative would have been to the country’s advantage.
Ramesh’s remarks triggered a wave of reactions online, with several users pushing back against the Congress leader’s framing. Critics argued that foreign policy decisions are driven by strategic and industrial considerations, not personal rapport or public gestures, and said India should not be seen as seeking validation from US-led groupings.
Others accused Ramesh of 'scorekeeping' and of reviving a Congress-era mindset that, in their view, equated closeness to Washington with diplomatic success.
Some posts contrasted the current government’s approach with earlier Congress-led administrations, while dismissing the idea that India should 'bow down' or seek favours for inclusion in such initiatives.
The government has not issued any official response on India’s reported exclusion from Pax Silica.
India is positioning itself as a global convenor on AI governance, set to host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 with a focus on 'People, Planet and Progress'.
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