US launches Pax Silica critical minerals alliance, excludes India despite growing tech ties

The United States has launched a new strategic coalition on critical minerals and advanced technology supply chains, notably without including India, even as trade and technology talks between the two countries continue.

The initiative, called Pax Silica, is aimed at creating a secure and resilient global silicon ecosystem that spans the entire value chain — from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence infrastructure and logistics. According to the US State Department, the effort is designed to support an innovation-led and trusted supply network for next-generation technologies.

The first Pax Silica Summit will bring together Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. Washington has underlined that these nations host many of the world’s most influential companies and investors driving the global AI and semiconductor industries.

The grouping has a clear strategic focus, particularly as the US and its partners seek to reduce reliance on Chinese-dominated supply chains. The alliance aims to curb “coercive dependencies,” safeguard materials and capabilities vital to artificial intelligence, and enable like-minded countries to develop and deploy emerging technologies at scale.

India’s absence from the coalition has drawn attention, especially as critical minerals have become a key pillar of India-US cooperation in recent years. In 2024, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on critical minerals supply chains, aimed at strengthening resilience by leveraging their complementary strengths. This agreement, along with the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), reflects deepening collaboration in technology and clean energy.

However, India’s exclusion from Pax Silica, a forum centred on the most advanced players in the AI and semiconductor ecosystem suggests that New Delhi may not yet be viewed as a full-spectrum partner in the highest end of the global AI supply chain. There was no immediate response from Indian officials on the development.