Pax Silica unpacked: Goals, members and why India may join the US-led tech initiative next month

What is Pax Silica, the US-led tech initiative India is set to join next month?

• India to be invited as full member of US-led Pax Silica next month
• Pax Silica aims to secure silicon supply chains for semiconductors and AI
• India's entry may boost its tech sector and strengthen global supply chains.

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India is set to be invited to join the United States-led strategic initiative Pax Silica as a full member next month, newly appointed US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced during his visit to New Delhi.

The move marks a significant shift in India-US technology and supply chain cooperation, particularly in critical minerals, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

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What is Pax Silica? 

Pax Silica is a US-led framework aimed at building a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain, spanning critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and logistics.

The initiative seeks to reduce coercive dependencies, safeguard materials essential to emerging technologies, and enable trusted partners to deploy advanced systems at scale. US officials have described it as a “positive-sum partnership” focused on coordination rather than exclusion.

When the initiative was launched in December, India was not among the founding members. The inaugural Pax Silica Summit included Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the UAE, and Australia, with additional participation from Taiwan, the European Union, Canada, and the OECD.

At the time, US officials said the grouping was shaped around countries already central to semiconductor and AI supply chains, while noting that India remained a “highly strategic potential partner”.

Explaining the shift, Gor said closer alignment between New Delhi and Washington was essential as new technologies reshape global power and manufacturing. “As the world adopts new technology, it is essential that India and the United States work hand in hand from the very start of this initiative,” he said, calling the partnership a “once in a lifetime opportunity to redefine diplomacy”. He added, “No partner is more essential than India.”

Gor also underlined the broader political and strategic context of the relationship, pointing to the personal rapport between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “During my last dinner with him, President Trump recounted his last visit to India and also his great friendship with the great Prime Minister of India. I hope the President will be visiting us soon, hopefully in the next year or two,” he said.

The potential inclusion comes amid continued India-US engagement on a broader trade agreement, with the next round of talks scheduled for tomorrow. Gor stressed that while negotiations are challenging, both sides remain committed. “Both sides continue to actively engage. Not an easy feat to cross the finish line, but determined,” he said.

India’s entry into Pax Silica would align with its efforts to expand domestic semiconductor manufacturing, secure critical mineral supplies, and position itself as an alternative global production hub. For the US and its partners, India’s participation could strengthen a coalition seeking resilient, trusted technology supply chains amid intensifying global competition.