India likely to join US-led Pax Silica maintaining strategic autonomy

January 21, 2026

New Delhi: In the war between China and the West to secure critical mineral supply chains needed for advancing AI initiatives, New Delhi may lean towards Pax Silica, a US-led initiative, while carefully safeguarding its strategic autonomy, according to reports.

India Weighs Pax Silica Participation With Strategic Caution

India’s participation in Pax Silica could help scale collaborations with advanced economies, attract investment, and strengthen supply-chain resilience. However, New Delhi is expected to ensure that its strategic autonomy is not compromised through participation in the initiative.

Pax Silica brings together countries closely tied to semiconductor manufacturing and advanced technology supply chains, including Singapore, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the United Kingdom, and aims to address vulnerabilities arising from over-concentrated global supply chains.

Balancing Supply-Chain Integration With Policy Flexibility

As a developing market, India is likely to seek sufficient policy space for subsidies, preferential procurement, and calibrated import regulations that may not fully align with the approaches of some Pax Silica members.

India has already been working to develop resilient semiconductor supply chains in collaboration with countries such as Japan and Singapore, which are part of the Pax Silica framework.

US Signals Support as India Expands Semiconductor Push

On his first day in New Delhi, the new American Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, announced India’s inclusion as a full member of Pax Silica — a US-led advanced technology supply-chain partnership. India’s earlier omission had been viewed as a deliberate slight, especially given its growing role in the global AI race, and Gor’s announcement was welcomed in New Delhi as a positive diplomatic signal.

Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that India will emerge as a major player across the entire electronics value chain — from design and manufacturing to materials and equipment — adding that four semiconductor plants will begin commercial production this year.