NEW DELHI: Congress on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming it was "not very surprising" that India has been left out of a new US-led high-tech supply chain initiative, "Pax Silica," citing it a "sharp downturn in Trump–Modi ties."
These remarks came after some reports stated that the United States has excluded India from Pax Silica, a nine-nation initiative aimed at reducing Chinese dominance in critical high-tech and semiconductor supply chains.
"According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia," Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group," he added.
The Congress remarks come even as PM Modi and Trump recently spoke over the phone to discuss sustaining momentum in bilateral economic ties.
Further, taking a swipe at the Prime Minister, Ramesh alleged that, "This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC."
The call coincided with the conclusion of two-day India–US talks on a proposed trade agreement, which is expected to give India relief from the Trump administration’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods. PM Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging" in a social media post, without referring to trade issues.
What is Pax Silica?
According to the US State Department, "Pax Silica is the Department of State’s flagship effort on AI and supply chain security, advancing new economic security consensus among allies and trusted partners."
While, "Pax" is a historical term that denotes peace, stability and prosperity and is applied to the foundations of modern artificial intelligence and computing.
This is US-led initiative is aimed at building a secure, resilient and innovation-driven technology ecosystem, spanning the full value chain, from critical minerals and energy to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure and logistics.
The nine nations included as of now are US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia.
What is the core objective?
"Pax Silica" aims to reduce coercive dependencies, safeguard materials and capabilities critical to artificial intelligence, and help aligned nations develop and deploy advanced technologies at scale.
Partner to secure global technology and AI supply chains by addressing vulnerabilities and investment opportunities.
Bring together countries that host advanced technology companies to unlock the economic potential of the AI era, and establish a durable economic order that delivers AI-driven prosperity across partner nations.
Meanwhile, India is also set to host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19–20, focusing on the principles of "People, Planet, and Progress”. Announced by PM Modi at the France AI Action Summit, it will be the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
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