Washington DC [US], December 18 (ANI): The United States has identified India as a highly strategic partner in efforts to secure global supply chains for artificial intelligence and semiconductors, underscoring Washington’s intent to deepen bilateral cooperation on economic and technological security.
Jacob Helberg, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, confirmed he would attend the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi this February, signaling a push for accelerated collaboration on supply chain resilience and advanced technologies.
Speaking virtually to reporters at the Pax Silica Summit in Washington on Wednesday, Helberg dismissed suggestions that political tensions had prevented India’s participation in the summit, which convened technologically advanced economies to coordinate strategy on AI infrastructure and semiconductor supply chains.
“I want to be clear that the conversations between the United States and India pertaining to trade arrangements are a completely separate and parallel track to our discussions on supply chain security,” Helberg said. “We are not conflating those two things.”
He emphasized that India was not excluded from the summit due to diplomatic friction, noting that engagement with New Delhi is currently taking place through bilateral channels rather than within the multilateral framework.
“We view India as a highly strategic potential partner on supply chain security-related efforts, and we welcome the opportunity to engage with them,” Helberg said, adding that officials from both countries remain in daily communication.
Helberg said his participation in the February summit in Delhi would focus on setting “tangible milestones” for US-India cooperation, with concrete developments expected in bilateral economic security arrangements.
“We are actively determining ways of actually deepening that collaboration quickly,” he added.
The Pax Silica initiative, unveiled at the December summit, represents a significant shift in US economic policy by prioritizing national security considerations over traditional trade frameworks. The initiative rests on four pillars: rebalancing trade relationships, stabilizing conflict zones through economic engagement, reindustrializing the United States, and securing critical supply chains.
Describing silicon and semiconductors as the “lifeblood” of modern technology, Helberg said the initiative aims to coordinate investments in fabrication plants, data centers, and mineral refining across allied nations.
The inaugural summit included participants from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia, with additional representation from Taiwan, the European Union, Canada, and the OECD. These countries collectively anchor the global semiconductor ecosystem, home to major firms such as Samsung, TSMC, ASML, and SK Hynix.
Japan is considered foundational to the initiative, with the Pax Silica concept emerging from US-Japan discussions. Taiwan’s participation, despite its unique diplomatic status, reflected its central role in global semiconductor manufacturing.
Observers note that India could join the initiative at a later stage, following a precedent set by the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP). Launched in 2022, the MSP initially excluded India before New Delhi joined in June 2023 alongside partners such as Japan, Australia, and the European Union.
The MSP focuses on securing supply chains for critical minerals—including lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements—widely viewed as a counterbalance to China’s dominance, which accounts for approximately 60–70 percent of global rare earth processing capacity.
Pax Silica similarly seeks to reduce dependence on China across the technology supply chain while strengthening resilience in sectors ranging from electric vehicle batteries to defense electronics.
The initiative comes as Washington increasingly frames supply chain vulnerabilities as a matter of national survival rather than purely commercial concern. (ANI)
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