US Affirms India Strategic Partner Despite Pax Silica
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Washington: Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg said on Wednesday that India’s absence from the newly launched Pax Silica initiative did not result from tariff disputes or broader political tensions, and he called India a “highly strategic potential partner” for securing semiconductor and AI infrastructure supply chains. The US launched Pax Silica last week with allied economies and technology partners to coordinate globally on critical minerals, fabs, data centres and logistics; Helberg said trade discussions are separate from security cooperation and confirmed his planned attendance at India’s AI Impact Summit in February. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.
More context
Timeline
- 1. Early December 2025: U.S. finalizes plan for Pax Silica initiative to secure silicon and AI supply chains.
- 2. 12–15 December 2025: Pax Silica publicly announced; inaugural partner list released excluding India.
- 3. 18 December 2025: Under Secretary Jacob Helberg briefs reporters, denying trade tensions caused India’s absence.
- 4. 18 December 2025: Helberg calls India a 'highly strategic potential partner' and details Pax Silica scope.
- 5. February 2026: Helberg plans to attend India AI Impact Summit to continue engagement.
Sources
JQJO Editorial Desk · Human reviewed · AI assisted. Report a correction.












