On February 20, 2026, at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India formally signed the Pax Silica Declaration, becoming the eleventh member of a powerful U.S. led coalition that is quietly redrawing the map of global technology power. The signing ceremony, held at Bharat Mandapam, brought together Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw, U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor, and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw sat alongside U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor and Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg to finalize an agreement that many here believe marks the end of an era of vulnerability. Pax Silica is a direct response to the hard lessons of the last decade. The name itself reflects a shift in global power where silica and the minerals required for compute power have replaced oil as the primary strategic resource.
While the U.S. Department of State launched the initiative in December 2025 to secure trusted networks, India’s inclusion provides the massive scale and design talent the alliance previously lacked.
Jacob Helberg told reporters during a press briefing that the goal is to build a backup supply chain that cannot be used for blackmail. India knows this struggle better than most. Past export curbs on critical components led to empty assembly lines at major Indian car manufacturers. This new roadmap is intended to ensure that such a shortage never happens again. By diversifying away from a singular reliance on Chinese raw materials, India is effectively buying an insurance policy for its industrial growth.
Ambassador Sergio Gor described the moment as essential. He pointed to the deep convergence of trade and defense interests between Washington and New Delhi. Meanwhile, industry leaders like Ashok Chandak of IESA noted that India’s growing fabrication ecosystem makes it the natural bridge between East and West.
Minister Vaishnaw closed the event by stating that India is no longer just attending summits but is actively building the future. With this signature, India has claimed a decisive seat at the high stakes table of global technology.
