India on Friday joined a US-led strategic alliance, 'Pax Silica', that is aimed at building a resilient supply chain for critical minerals and artificial intelligence. India signed a pact joining the coalition at a ceremony at the AI Impact Summit in the national capital. The signing ceremony was attended by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and US envoy to India Sergio Gor among others. Gor said Pax Silica is a coalition of capabilities. 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.

"India's entry into Pax Silica is not just symbolic. It is strategic and essential. India is a nation with deep talent, deep enough to rival challengers. India's engineering depth offers critical capabilities for this vital coalition. In addition to talent, India has made important strides towards critical mineral processing capacity, and that is something that we are also fully engaged in. Policies that will reinforce US-India tech cooperation will power AI innovation and adoption for years to come. We can share trusted AI technology with the world, and especially with partners like India..." Gor said.

"What struck me most was not just India's scale, although that is breathtaking. It is India's resolve, the determination to chart your own course. I keep talking about the limitless potential between our two nations, and I truly mean it. From the trade deal to Pax Silica to defence cooperation, the potential for our two nations to work together is truly limitless. I aim to fulfil that over the next three years that I'm here," the US Ambassador said.

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

Now, India is also a part of Pax Silica

At the signing ceremony of the Pax Silica Declaration, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "...India has become a part of the Pax Silica. This will greatly benefit India's electronics and semiconductor industry. Ten plants are already established in India and are in the process of being established, and very soon, the first semiconductor plant will begin commercial production. In that context, the most advanced two-nanometer chips are being designed in India today. A complete ecosystem is emerging in India. Pax Silica will be crucial for this, and the youth of India will benefit from it."

"...The world trusts India...We have a large talent pool, and we have conducted our foreign policy in a way which creates their trust. As part of that, today, the Pax Silica was signed, which is very important for the semiconductor supply chain, semiconductor manufacturing, and chip design, for establishing the entire semiconductor ecosystem in our country," he added.

"I would like to extend my special thanks to Minister Jaishankar, Minister Piyush Goyal, and to the vision of our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, who has made all this possible, this entire AI impact summit, the silicon supply chain that we are building, and that huge set of new opportunities which are coming for the young population which is here. Give a big round of applause for the entire team which has worked for him. India today is a young nation, with a median age of 28 years. It has a long growth path ahead. Even in 2047, India will remain a young nation, with a median age of 37 years. That means that beyond 2047 as well, there will be a growth period of another 50 years," he added.

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. India was not a part of the grouping initially and was later invited to join the alliance.

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

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