US keeps India out of critical mineral grouping

Defence affairs - Ujwal Jalali from new Delhi

In a move that has raised questions in New Delhi over the future trajectory of India–US strategic and technology cooperation, the US has announced a new high-technology and supply chain initiative, Pax Silica, while keeping India out of the inaugural grouping.

The US-led initiative brings together Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Australia to build what Washington describes as a secure, resilient and innovation-driven global silicon and artificial intelligence supply chain. Notably, India has been excluded, even as all other Quad members--the US, Japan and Australia--are part of the new framework.

Pax Silica is aimed at reducing dependence on coercive supply chains, particularly in critical minerals, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, energy inputs, logistics and AI infrastructure. According to the US State Department, the initiative seeks to protect technologies foundational to artificial intelligence and ensure that “trusted partners” can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.

Announcing the initiative, US officials said Pax Silica represents a new economic security paradigm rooted in close cooperation among countries hosting the world’s most advanced technology companies and investors. The bloc will focus on the entire technology stack--from critical minerals and power generation to chip fabrication, data centres, frontier AI models and global logistics networks.

While Washington stressed that Pax Silica is a “positive-sum partnership” and not designed to isolate other countries, India’s absence has drawn attention given New Delhi’s repeated emphasis on becoming a global semiconductor and electronics manufacturing hub, as well as its central role in US-led Indo-Pacific frameworks.