India Joins Pax Silica at India AI Impact Summit 2026, Deepens Strategic Technology Cooperation with United States

· Pax Silica Initiative Aims to Secure and Democratically Govern the Global Silicon Stack

· India’s Compounding Growth Powering Semiconductor Leadership, Says Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw

What is Pax Silica?

Pax Silica is envisioned as a coalition of trusted democratic nations working to secure the entire technology ecosystem, including:

· Critical minerals

· Semiconductor fabrication (fabs)

· Advanced chip design

· AI systems and deployment infrastructure

Its core objectives are to:

· Reduce overconcentration in supply chains

· Prevent economic coercion

· Ensure emerging technologies are governed by open societies

The initiative reflects a broader belief that economic security is national security.

India’s Semiconductor Moment

Speaking at the summit, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and IT, described the development as historic:

“We are not just holding a summit; we are building the future.”

Highlighting India’s growth trajectory since Independence, he emphasized the power of compounding economic progress and pointed to India’s expanding semiconductor ambitions:

· Indian engineers are designing advanced two-nanometer chips

· The semiconductor industry will require nearly 1 million skilled professionals

· India sees this as a massive employment and innovation opportunity

His message was clear: India is positioning itself not just as a market, but as a global semiconductor leader.

U.S. Perspective: A Strategic Partnership

Jacob Helberg, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, called the agreement:

“Not merely an agreement on paper, but a roadmap for a shared future.”

He emphasized resisting “weaponized dependency” and reaffirmed that technological strength must align with democratic values.

Similarly, Sergio Gor, U.S. Ambassador to India, described India’s participation as:

“Strategic and essential.”

He noted that Pax Silica aims to secure the entire value chain — from mineral extraction to semiconductor fabs to AI data centers — ensuring free societies control the commanding heights of the global economy.

Industry Leaders Weigh In

A high-level fireside chat followed the signing, featuring:

· S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY

· Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO, Micron Technology

· Randhir Thakur, CEO & MD, Tata Electronics

Key takeaways included:

· India’s coordinated push across AI, semiconductors, and critical minerals

· Building resilient and secure supply chains

· Creating a “win-win ecosystem” to advance AI responsibly

· Recognizing that the AI revolution is already underway

Why This Matters

This development signals:

1. Deepening India–U.S. strategic alignment in critical technologies

2. Stronger semiconductor ecosystem cooperation

3. Supply chain diversification away from concentrated geographies

4. Positioning India within the future global AI economy

Pax Silica is not just about chips — it is about shaping the rules of the 21st-century technological order.

The Bigger Message

The signing at the summit sends a clear signal:

The future of artificial intelligence and advanced technology will not be accidental — it will be deliberately built by nations committed to freedom, partnership, and long-term resilience.

If you would like, I can also prepare:

· A policy analysis note on Pax Silica’s geopolitical impact

· A semiconductor supply-chain briefing

· An India–U.S. technology cooperation explainer

· A 500-word newspaper editorial version

[ABS News Service/23.02.2026]

On the fifth day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, India formally joined the Pax Silica coalition, marking a significant milestone in the strengthening of strategic technology and supply chain cooperation between India and the United States. The signing ceremony brought together senior government leaders from both nations, underscoring a shared commitment to securing the full technology stack that will power the AI-driven global economy.

Pax Silica is envisioned as a strategic coalition of trusted nations committed to securing the “silicon stack”, from critical minerals and semiconductor fabrication to advanced AI systems and deployment infrastructure. The initiative seeks to reduce overconcentration in global supply chains, prevent economic coercion, and ensure that emerging technologies are developed and governed by open, democratic societies.

Addressing the gathering, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw framed the moment as one that transcends a ceremonial signing. “We are not just holding a summit; we are building the future,” he said, emphasising that new foundations and new opportunities are being created for the younger generation.

Drawing attention to the power of compounding growth since Independence, he added, “If we look at India’s growth since 1947, we can all imagine the impact of compounding.” He underscored the country’s growing semiconductor capabilities, stating, “Today, India’s talented engineers are designing the world’s most advanced two-nanometer chips. The semiconductor industry will require around one million new skilled professionals, and this is a very big opportunity for India.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Jacob Helberg, United States Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, described the declaration as “not merely an agreement on paper, but a roadmap for a shared future.”

Invoking the shared democratic histories of both nations, he stated, “Today, as we sign the Pax Silica declaration, we say no to weaponized dependency, and we say no to blackmail. Together, we affirm that economic security is national security.

Highlighting the broader ambition behind the initiative, he added, “We are securing the full stack of the future, the minerals deep in the earth, the silicon wafers in our labs and fabs, and the intelligence that will unleash human potential. Pax Silica is our declaration that the future belongs to those who build.”

Echoing this sentiment, Sergio Gor, U.S. Ambassador to India, described India’s entry into Pax Silica as both “strategic and essential.”

“Pax Silica is the coalition that will define the 21st century economic and technological order,” he said. “It is designed to secure the entire silicon stack, from the mines where we extract critical minerals, to the fabs where we manufacture chips, to the data centres where we deploy frontier AI.”

Understanding the democratic foundation of the partnership, Ambassador Gor remarked, “Pax Silica is about whether free societies will control the commanding heights of the global economy. We choose freedom. We choose partnership. We choose strength.”

The signing at the India AI Impact Summit underscored a clear message: the future of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies will not be left to chance. It will be built deliberately, by nations committed to freedom, partnership, and long-term resilience.

Following the PaxSilica signing, a high level fireside chat featuring Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary MeitY,Sergio Gor, US Ambassador to India ; Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron Technology; and Randhir Thakur, CEO and MD of Tata Electronics, underscored the strategic convergence of AI ambition and semiconductor resilience. Emphasising India’s coordinated push across AI, semiconductors and critical minerals, Shri S. Krishnan said the goal is “resilient collaboration with trusted partners who share our values,” positioning India within the future global tech ecosystem.

Highlighting the immediacy of the shift, Sergio Gor stated, “The AI revolution is not on the horizon — it is already here.” Mehrotra reinforced the supply chain dimension, calling it a “shared commitment to building resilient, secure supply chains” and a “win-win ecosystem to advance AI for good.” Thakur described PaxSilica as “a timely and strategic step,” noting that the semiconductor journey has always been driven by “materials, innovation, and compute.”