India AI Summit Day 5:India joins US’ Pax Silica; Union Minister Vaishnaw signs deal with American dignitaries

At the India AI Summit 2026, India formally joined US’ Pax Silica. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw signed the deal with American dignitaries on Friday, 20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. What is Pax Silica? Pax Silica is a US-led international coalition launched in December 2025 to secure global supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and critical minerals. “Pax” signifies peace and “Silica” refers to silicon chips. It aims to reduce dependency on China and build a resilient, cooperative technological order. Key details about the initiative include: Founding Members: In addition to the US, the initial group includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UK, Israel, the UAE, and Australia. Now, India has also joined. Objectives: The coalition seeks to secure activities like raw material extraction to advanced manufacturing and logistics for member countries. Strategic Goal: It acts as a “positive-sum” partnership to prevent economic dependencies on single nations, ensuring secure, trusted AI development Significance: It signifies a shift toward a new global tech framework where digital security and AI, rather than just oil, shape international alliances. The US Department of State reads the following in the context of ‘Pax Silica:’ “If the 20th century ran on oil and steel, the 21st century runs on compute and the minerals that feed it.” How will joining Pax Silica benefit India? India’s formal entry into Pax Silica on February 20, 2026, during the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, marks a strategic shift in its role within the global technology landscape. The initiative, led by the US State Department, aims to secure AI and semiconductor supply chains by uniting “friendly and trusted” nations. Joining Pax Silica is expected to benefit India in several key areas: