What is the US-led tech bloc 'Pax Silica' India may join? Trade agreement negotiations progress

NEW DELHI: India is likely to formally join the US-led Pax Silica strategic alliance on Friday, amid efforts by New Delhi and Washington to finalise a proposed trade deal and advance other initiatives to strengthen ties.Pax Silica is an initiative aimed at building a secure, resilient and innovation-driven supply chain for critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI).India’s expected entry in February 2026 would bring its large talent pool, semiconductor ambitions and strategic location into the alliance, giving New Delhi a seat in shaping the future economic and technology architecture. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor last month announced an invitation to New Delhi to join the alliance."We recognise that a reliable supply chain is indispensable to our mutual economic security," according to the Pax Silica declaration."We also recognize that artificial intelligence 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.Pax Silica, launched in December 2025 to secure the global AI and semiconductor supply chain and reduce dependence on non-aligned nations, includes the United States, Japan, South Korea and other trusted partners. Member nations currently include Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.The initiative aims to build a secure, resilient and innovation-driven supply chain for critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI). A Pax Silica Summit was held in Washington on December 12, where partner nations signed the Pax Silica declaration outlining a shared vision of deep economic and technology cooperation across supply chains — from raw materials through semiconductors and AI infrastructure — and a commitment to mutual prosperity and security.One of the key pillars of Pax Silica is establishing a durable economic order to drive AI-powered prosperity across partner nations.