Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg will host the Pax Silica Summit, the first high-level civilian gathering focused on creating a new group of partners for economic security and the AI economy, on December 12, 2025 at the Donald J. Trump Peace Institute in Washington, DC.
Tasos Katopodis | Getty Images
India is joining the US-led Pax Silica initiative, delivering the US government’s biggest victory yet in the race to shape and influence who has access to supply chains for advanced semiconductors and AI infrastructure.
Pax Silica is a Trump administration initiative aimed at securing a global supply chain for silicon-based technologies. India joins Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, Israel, the United Kingdom, Australia, as well as Qatar and the UAE as core members.
India’s participation, to be formalized at Thursday’s India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, brings Pax Silica, one of the world’s largest technology markets and a member of the BRICS alliance, on board at a time when competition for AI hardware is intensifying across geopolitical blocs.
“Pax silica is not really about China, it’s about the United States. We want to secure the supply chain,” Jacob Helberg, the U.S. undersecretary of state for economic affairs, told CNBC in an interview Wednesday.
“We see India as a partner to help de-risk and diversify our supply chain,” Helberg added.
India’s entry into Pax Silica comes as the US government faces increased scrutiny over how access to advanced AI chips is given to foreign partners. A recent report by the Wall Street Journal has Congress warning of potential conflicts of interest and corruption.
Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates secretly purchased a 49% stake in the Trump family’s cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial. Months after Mr Tahnoun bought a $500 million stake, the US agreed to give the UAE access to 500,000 cutting-edge US AI chips a year.
State Department launches AI chip “Concierge Service”
The US State Department also announced that it will pilot a new “concierge service” designed to help Pax Silica signatories more efficiently obtain US-made AI semiconductors.
Helberg, who is championing the U.S. effort, said the service will leverage the department’s global diplomatic presence and provide consulting support to help trusted governments and industry leaders navigate procurement and delivery timelines for advanced chips.
“In effect, this will help turn our diplomats into business development leaders for American AI, making the purchasing process easier for allies and ensuring that American technology wins contracts over alternatives,” Helberg told CNBC. “This is really part of our strategy to win the AI race,” he added.
—Emma Graham contributed to this report.
