India joins US-led Pax Silica to strengthen critical minerals and AI supply chains

India on Friday (February 20) formally entered a US-led strategic grouping known as ‘Pax Silica’, an initiative designed to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and artificial intelligence.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony at the AI Impact Summit, marking New Delhi’s entry into the coalition. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw attended the event alongside US envoy to India Sergio Gor and other officials.

Describing the effort, Gor said Pax Silica is a coalition of capabilities. "Pax Silica is a declaration that the future belongs to those who build, and when free people join forces," US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said.

Origins of the initiative

The move comes amid efforts by the two sides to finalise the proposed trade deal and move forward on several other initiatives to solidify bilateral ties after a spell of severe strain in relations.

Also Read: US envoy Sergio Gor calls India most essential partner, predicts Trump's visit by 2027

The Pax Silica initiative was launched in December last year to build a secure, resilient, and innovation-driven supply chain for critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI).

The Pax Silica Summit was held in Washington on December 12 last year, where partner nations signed the Pax Silica declaration.

Shared vision and membership

The declaration lays out a shared vision of deep economic and technological cooperation across supply chains, from raw materials through semiconductors and AI infrastructure, and a commitment to mutual prosperity and security.

Also Read: India attends Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace meeting as observer

The member nations of the Pax Silica included Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Gor last month announced an invitation to New Delhi to join the strategic alliance. One of the key pillars of Pax Silica was to establish a durable economic order to drive AI-powered prosperity across partner nations.

What the declaration says

"We recognise that a reliable supply chain is indispensable to our mutual economic security," according to the Pax Silica declaration.

"We also recognise that artificial intelligence (AI) represents a transformative force for our long-term prosperity and that trustworthy systems are essential to safeguarding our mutual security and prosperity," it said.

"We believe that economic value and growth will flow through and across all levels of the global AI supply chain, driving historic opportunity and demand for energy, critical minerals, manufacturing, technological hardware, infrastructure, and new markets not yet invented," it said.

(With agency inputs)