India and the United States signed the “Pax Silica” declaration on Friday, February 20, 2026, in New Delhi, marking a major step toward closer cooperation on artificial intelligence, semiconductors and critical technology supply chains. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Global AI Impact Summit in the presence of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, US Ambassador to India Segio Gor, and US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg.
The declaration commits both countries to work together to secure and diversify technology supply chains, expand semiconductor collaboration, and advance responsible AI development and economic security. Officials framed Pax Silica as an effort to build “trusted” technology ecosystems that are resilient to disruptions and undue influence.
According to the US State Department, Pax Silica aims to gather friendly countries to ensure key technologies are safe, reliable and not subject to control by hostile actors. Launched on December 12, 2025, the initiative seeks to reduce “excessive dependencies” and create an innovation-driven silicon supply chain spanning critical minerals, energy inputs, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure and logistics.
Observers view the initiative as a strategic response to China’s dominant role in global manufacturing and technology ecosystems. When Pax Silica was unveiled in December 2025, India was not on the initial list of participating countries — which included Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Australia — an omission that reportedly caused concern in New Delhi.
The State Department has said the effort will focus on protecting sensitive technologies and critical infrastructure from undue access or control by countries of concern. Areas singled out include information and communication technology systems, fibre-optic networks, data centres and foundational AI models — large, general-purpose AI systems that underpin many applications.
Indian officials and industry analysts say joining Pax Silica could accelerate India’s semiconductor mission and boost its ambitions in the global AI race, positioning the country as a key player in trusted, resilient technology supply chains. The declaration signals a deepening US-India partnership on the technology and economic front at a time of growing geopolitical competition over critical tech capabilities.
Original Source: https://www.guwahatiplus.com/india/pax-silica-declaration-signed-between-india-and-us
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Publish Date: 2026-02-20 12:31:00
