India and US push deeper AI and chip ties as firms eye access to next-generation technologies

New Delhi: India and the US will be encouraging businesses from both countries dealing with artificial intelligence and semiconductors to collaborate more, officials said. This was discussed during bilateral meetings held as part of US secretary of state Marco Rubio's four-day visit to India.

"Semiconductors and artificial intelligence have now taken primacy among a larger set of critical and emerging technologies, which had been zeroed in by both governments a few years back. This was further emphasised in latest talks held under the overall bilateral framework of the TRUST Initiative," an official said.

Signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington DC in February 2025, the TRUST initiative spans a large chunk of technological sectors. Within this, the US-India Roadmap on Accelerating artificial intelligence Infrastructure includes identifying constraints to financing, building, powering and connecting large-scale US-origin AI infrastructure in India, the official said.


The move follows Washington's interest in furthering industry partnerships and driving investments in next-generation data centres in India and cooperation on development and access to compute and processors for AI.

AI export stack

The US has begun a pre-emptive vetting process for foreign artificial intelligence companies to be accepted into the American AI Exports Program's National Champions Program, officials said.

Launched on the sidelines of the IndiaAI Impact Summit held here in February, the initiative will see the US Commerce Department incorporate partner nations' leading AI companies into customised American AI export stacks.

"Last month, the US Department of Commerce through the US International Trade Administration invited proposals for full-stack American AI export packages from industry-led pre-set consortia for designation under the programme," the official said. He added the Centre has sought views of Indian firms to be accepted into the programme, whose application window is open till June 30.

Indian projects getting access to the US State Department's $250-million Pax Silica seed fund was also discussed, the official said.

Designed as a foreign assistance support, the fund is hoped to catalyse trusted capital from large sovereign wealth funds and private sources controlling over $1 trillion in assets, as per the US. It is aimed at supporting critical mineral extraction and processing, critical infrastructure and manufacturing assets globally belonging to Pax Silica's leading private sector partners and sovereign signatories. New Delhi has been keen on the fund's participation in upcoming semiconductor, and adjacent projects, ET had reported. The Trump administration has pushed the Pax Silica alliance to reduce Chinese over-concentration in global supply chains. India joined it at the AI Impact Summit.