Why India should join Pax Silica high table

As global cooperation on advanced technologies gathers momentum, India can't afford to remain outside the rule-making phase. It should join the US-led Pax Silica initiative once formally invited. The prospect of such an invitation has understandably raised sovereignty concerns in New Delhi, rooted in the realities of today's geopolitical climate and India's preference for strategic autonomy. Yet, declining the offer could be read by the Trump administration as a diplomatic snub, with consequences ranging from higher tariffs to a potentially imperilled trade deal.

New Delhi is aware of the impact of Beijing's export restrictions on critical minerals and the vulnerabilities such leverage creates. Yet, joining Pax Silica must be about more than replacing one set of dependencies with another. India must advance its domestic industrial policy on semiconductors, critical minerals and AI, deepen engagement with a variety of partners - some of whom are Pax Silica members - and ensure that political commitments translate into projects. Collaborations such as the India-France partnership, along with trilateral arrangements involving the UAE, the India-Australia critical minerals partnership, and the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership, provide both a safety net and leverage for collective bargaining.

Geopolitical fractures and supply chain vulnerabilities have created a strategic imperative for cooperation across AI, semiconductors and critical minerals. Countries such as India are central to ensuring that the developing world is not sidelined in this new race. To play that role well, India must be present where rules and standards are set - and use that seat strategically to represent voices that are too often left out.