What is the story about?
India is poised to be invited to join the US-led Pax Silica initiative, a strategic technology and silicon supply chain partnership, as early as next month, according to the newly appointed US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor.
The announcement has stirred fresh interest in how New Delhi could deepen cooperation with Washington on critical minerals, semiconductors and artificial intelligence infrastructure, areas seen as central to global technological competition in the coming decade.
The proposed shift comes after India was not part of the initiative’s founding summit in Washington, DC, in December 2025. Existing key partners, include Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Israel and the US.
In a media briefing shortly after assuming his post in New Delhi, Ambassador Gor said the United States plans to invite India as a full member of Pax Silica next month, underlining India’s growing role in global technology and manufacturing ecosystems. “I am pleased to announce that India will be invited to join Pax Silica as a full member next month,” Gor told reporters.
The Pax Silica initiative brings together countries committed to building secure, resilient and innovation-led supply chains for silicon-based technologies. Its scope ranges from the extraction of critical minerals and energy inputs through semiconductor manufacturing and logistics to artificial intelligence development.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that India will be invited next month to join this group of nations as a full member,” Gor added, framing the move as a significant expansion of India-US cooperation in strategically vital sectors.
Pax Silica was launched in December 2025 with the stated aim of reducing coercive dependencies in global technology supply chains, particularly those related to semiconductors and artificial intelligence components. By bringing together like-minded partners, the initiative seeks to diversify sources of critical materials and capabilities that underlie modern technologies.
The initiative’s ambitions align with broader US efforts to counterbalance China’s significant influence in semiconductor manufacturing and critical minerals markets. While the launch event included partners such as Japan and Australia, India’s absence sparked speculation about the reasons for its exclusion. US officials subsequently clarified that Delhi’s absence did not reflect any diplomatic rift, but rather a phased approach to building the partnership, with India viewed as a “highly strategic potential partner”.
Speaking to Bloomberg in late December, a senior US official said India was in talks to join the Pax Silica supply chain partnership and could enter by the first half of 2026.
India, on the other hand, has been careful in its public response, maintaining a calibrated stance on the issue and refraining from immediate confirmation.
India’s participation in Pax Silica could offer multiple advantages. For one, it would provide New Delhi with closer integration into global semiconductor and critical mineral networks, potentially boosting domestic manufacturing aspirations under initiatives such as Make in India.
The move comes amid intense global competition to secure resources and manufacturing capabilities critical to semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and advanced electronics. Considering the competition, India might join Pax Silica after all.
For Washington, bringing India into Pax Silica could reinforce a broader coalition of democracies seeking to reduce dependence on single sources, particularly in the context of technology competition with China. For New Delhi, membership would offer an opportunity to deepen ties with key partners on future-facing industries while advancing its own industrial ambitions.
The announcement has stirred fresh interest in how New Delhi could deepen cooperation with Washington on critical minerals, semiconductors and artificial intelligence infrastructure, areas seen as central to global technological competition in the coming decade.
The proposed shift comes after India was not part of the initiative’s founding summit in Washington, DC, in December 2025. Existing key partners, include Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Israel and the US.
In a media briefing shortly after assuming his post in New Delhi, Ambassador Gor said the United States plans to invite India as a full member of Pax Silica next month, underlining India’s growing role in global technology and manufacturing ecosystems. “I am pleased to announce that India will be invited to join Pax Silica as a full member next month,” Gor told reporters.
The Pax Silica initiative brings together countries committed to building secure, resilient and innovation-led supply chains for silicon-based technologies. Its scope ranges from the extraction of critical minerals and energy inputs through semiconductor manufacturing and logistics to artificial intelligence development.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that India will be invited next month to join this group of nations as a full member,” Gor added, framing the move as a significant expansion of India-US cooperation in strategically vital sectors.
US-led Pax Silica
Pax Silica was launched in December 2025 with the stated aim of reducing coercive dependencies in global technology supply chains, particularly those related to semiconductors and artificial intelligence components. By bringing together like-minded partners, the initiative seeks to diversify sources of critical materials and capabilities that underlie modern technologies.
The initiative’s ambitions align with broader US efforts to counterbalance China’s significant influence in semiconductor manufacturing and critical minerals markets. While the launch event included partners such as Japan and Australia, India’s absence sparked speculation about the reasons for its exclusion. US officials subsequently clarified that Delhi’s absence did not reflect any diplomatic rift, but rather a phased approach to building the partnership, with India viewed as a “highly strategic potential partner”.
Speaking to Bloomberg in late December, a senior US official said India was in talks to join the Pax Silica supply chain partnership and could enter by the first half of 2026.
India, on the other hand, has been careful in its public response, maintaining a calibrated stance on the issue and refraining from immediate confirmation.
India’s participation in Pax Silica could offer multiple advantages. For one, it would provide New Delhi with closer integration into global semiconductor and critical mineral networks, potentially boosting domestic manufacturing aspirations under initiatives such as Make in India.
What’s next for India and Pax Silica?
The move comes amid intense global competition to secure resources and manufacturing capabilities critical to semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and advanced electronics. Considering the competition, India might join Pax Silica after all.
For Washington, bringing India into Pax Silica could reinforce a broader coalition of democracies seeking to reduce dependence on single sources, particularly in the context of technology competition with China. For New Delhi, membership would offer an opportunity to deepen ties with key partners on future-facing industries while advancing its own industrial ambitions.
