Overview
- India formally signed the US-led Pax Silica declaration on Feb. 20 at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, joining a coalition focused on secure supply chains for AI, semiconductors and critical minerals.
- The State Department has launched a global “concierge” using roughly 270 US diplomatic posts to speed purchases of American AI hardware and to verify trusted deployment with cryptographic checks.
- A companion “Edge AI” solicitation will award up to US$200 million for secure, affordable smartphones across the Indo-Pacific, with proposals due May 20 and awards contingent on congressional funding, aiming to displace low-cost Chinese devices.
- India and the United States also unveiled an AI Opportunity Partnership designed to boost capital flows and deepen R&D collaboration on artificial intelligence.
- Pax Silica now includes Japan, South Korea, Australia, the UAE, Qatar, Israel, the United Kingdom, Greece and Singapore, while analysts warn many Global South buyers may still favor cheaper Chinese offerings and caution India on preserving strategic autonomy.