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NEW DELHI – In a significant move reflecting the growing alliance between India and the United States, India has joined a U.S.-led initiative to bolster technological collaboration among strategic partners. This comes after a period of tension due to New Delhi’s continued purchasing of discounted oil from Russia.
The initiative, which aligns India with Washington’s goal of creating secure supply chains for semiconductors and critical technologies, marks a shift in the relationship between the two nations. It echoes a strengthening of ties amid increasing geopolitical rivalry with China, and follows recent disagreements over energy trade and tariffs.
Countries participating in the Pax Silica framework include Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Israel.
“Pax Silica represents a collective commitment of nations that believe technology should empower free people and free markets. India’s involvement is not merely symbolic, but strategic and essential,” stated U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor in a speech prior to the signing of the agreement.
The Pax Silica initiative focuses on enhancing collaboration among member nations in semiconductor design, fabrication, research, and supply chain resilience. Its aim is to decrease reliance on manufacturing hubs dominated by China while fostering reliable production networks among democratic and strategically allied countries.
The development at the artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi comes weeks after India and the U.S. reached an interim trade framework to reduce tariffs and grant greater access to each other’s markets, easing tensions that had threatened to slow bilateral momentum.
President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that the U.S. would lower reciprocal import tariffs on India from 25% to 18% and also remove the additional 25% levy imposed earlier for buying Russian crude after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop it.
India had ramped up Russian oil imports after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, drawing criticism from western partners even as New Delhi defended the purchases as necessary to manage inflation and protect its consumers.
India’s entry into Pax Silica, combined with trade concessions, marks a strategic convergence that extends beyond commerce into long-term technology and security cooperation, reinforcing India’s role as a key U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific.
“From the trade deal to Pax Silica to defense cooperation, the potential for our two nations to work together is truly limitless,” Gor said.
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