The United States has moved to quell speculation surrounding India's notable absence from its newly launched Pax Silica technology initiative. A senior US official explicitly stated that New Delhi was not excluded due to any political or trade tensions, instead emphasizing that India remains a "highly strategic potential partner" in global efforts to secure critical supply chains.
Separate Tracks for Trade and Security
Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Jacob Helberg, directly addressed the conjecture during a Foreign Press Centre briefing on Wednesday. He clarified that discussions on bilateral trade arrangements and those concerning supply chain security are proceeding on completely separate and parallel tracks.
"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. We are not conflating those two things," Helberg asserted. He reinforced the US stance, adding, "We view India as a highly strategic potential partner on supply chain security-related efforts, and we welcome the opportunity to engage with them."
Focus on Semiconductor Core in Initial Phase
Explaining the composition of the founding members of Pax Silica, Helberg said the initial focus was deliberately narrow, targeting nations central to the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. The initiative, launched last week, aims to build a secure, innovation-driven silicon supply chain covering everything from critical minerals to advanced manufacturing and AI infrastructure.
"We focused on a segment of the supply chain that was very focused on semiconductor manufacturing," Helberg noted. He identified Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Netherlands as forming the "nucleus of semiconductor manufacturing," which guided the initial selection. The US plans to begin with this smaller, focused group before expanding participation to other partners further down the supply chain.
The inaugural group includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. India's absence means it is the only Quad member nation not currently part of the framework.
Pathways for Future Collaboration with India
Helberg revealed he is in "nearly daily communication" with counterparts in Delhi, with both sides actively exploring ways to deepen collaboration swiftly. A key upcoming engagement will be the India AI Impact Summit in February, which Helberg plans to attend. He highlighted this event as a crucial opportunity to establish "tangible milestones" for bilateral cooperation.
"But we do plan to very much deepen our bilateral collaboration between the United States and India on economic security matters," he affirmed. The US official also outlined that it is part of Washington's 2026 work plan to create a clear pathway for other aligned countries with unique contributions, like India, to join the Pax Silica framework in the future.
Pax Silica was formally inaugurated last Friday with the signing of a declaration by representatives from the US, Japan, Israel, Australia, Singapore, and South Korea. According to the US State Department, the initiative's core objectives are to reduce coercive economic dependencies, protect materials vital for artificial intelligence, and enable partner nations to develop and deploy advanced technologies at scale.
