‘Speculation that India will not participate in Pax Silica’: US declares trade separate from supply chain security; Helberg to attend summit in Delhi – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: The United States on Wednesday said India has not been excluded from the recently launched Pax Silica technology initiative due to political or trade tensions, asserting that New Delhi remains a “highly strategic potential partner” in supply chain security efforts.Economic Affairs Secretary Jacob Helberg dismissed speculation linking India’s absence in the Washington-led grouping to tensions in bilateral ties. At a Foreign Press Center briefing, Helberg said discussions on trade and supply chain security would continue separately. “So I understand there was a lot of speculation about India not participating in the Pax Silica Summit,” he said.“I want to be clear that the discussions between the United States and India regarding trade arrangements are on a completely separate and parallel track to our discussions on supply chain security. We are not conflating these two things. We view India as a very strategic potential partner in supply chain security efforts, and we welcome the opportunity to engage with them,” Helberg added.Helberg said he is in “almost daily communication” with interlocutors in Delhi and that both sides are “actively seeking ways to actually deepen that cooperation quickly.” He also said he would attend the India AI Impact Summit in February, which he said would provide an opportunity to set “tangible milestones” for collaboration. “But we do intend to greatly deepen our bilateral cooperation between the United States and India on economic security issues,” he said.The US launched Pax Silica last week as a strategic initiative aimed at building a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain spanning critical minerals, energy inputs, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure and logistics. The initial grouping includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Israel, United Arab Emirates and Australia, but not India. With India absent, all Quad members, except New Delhi, are part of the initiative.Helberg explained the composition of the original group, saying the focus was on countries that play a central role in semiconductor production. “We focused on a segment of the supply chain that was very focused on semiconductor manufacturing,” he said, adding that Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Netherlands are the “core of semiconductor manufacturing.” He said the U.S. chose to start with a smaller group before expanding participation further down the supply chain.Helberg said it is part of Washington’s 2026 work plan to set a clear path for aligned and trusted countries with unique contributions to join the Pax Silica framework.Pax Silica was inaugurated last Friday with the signing of a statement by representatives of the US, Japan, Israel, Australia, Singapore and South Korea. According to the US Department of State, the initiative aims to reduce coercive dependency, protect materials and capabilities fundamental to artificial intelligence, and enable partner countries to develop and deploy advanced technologies at scale.