On February 20, 2026, India formally joined Pax Silica, a U.S.-led strategic alliance focused on securing the “Silicon Stack” from critical mineral extraction to AI infrastructure to ensure supply chain resilience against economic coercion.
Pax Silica Initiative
Pax Silica is a multilateral framework designed to establish a secure, innovation-driven ecosystem for the 21st-century economy, where “compute” and “minerals” replace “oil” and “steel” as the primary drivers of growth.
- Named after the Latin Pax (Peace) and Silica (foundational compound for silicon chips), it seeks a “Silicon Peace” through trusted partnerships.
- The initiative focuses on securing the entire value chain:
- Upstream: Access to and processing of Critical Minerals (Lithium, Cobalt, REEs).
- Midstream: Semiconductor design, Fabrication, and Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP).
- Downstream: AI infrastructure, including Frontier Foundation Models, data centers, and fiber-optic connectivity.
Member nations commit to joint ventures, strategic co-investments, and the protection of sensitive technologies from “non-market practices” and “undue access” by countries of concern.
Current Members: Led by the U.S., it includes India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, UK, Israel, UAE, and Australia.
Critical Minerals
Critical minerals are elements essential for modern technology and national security that face high supply risks due to geographical concentration.
The Ministry of Mines has identified 30 critical minerals for India, categorized based on their “Economic Importance” and “Supply Risk”.
KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd.): A Joint Venture of three CPSEs (NALCO, HCL, MECL) mandated to identify and acquire critical mineral assets overseas to ensure domestic supply security.
India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0
India’s entry into Pax Silica aligns with its domestic push to become a global semiconductor hub through the India Semiconductor Mission.
- While ISM 1.0 focused on building the ecosystem (Fabs, OSAT), ISM 2.0 (announced in Budget 2026-27) focuses on Equipment & Materials, Design IP, and Supply Chain fortification.
- India aims to achieve 3-nanometre and 2-nanometre technology nodes by 2029 and be among the top semiconductor nations by 2035.
Conceptual Clarity
- Misconception: Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are “rare” in terms of crustal abundance.
- Reality: REEs (a set of 17 elements) are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust; however, they are “rare” because they are difficult to find in concentrations that are economically viable to extract and refine without significant environmental impact.
UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. With reference to the ‘Pax Silica’ initiative, consider the following statements:
- It is a U.S.-led alliance focused on the security of the global semiconductor and AI supply chain.
- India is a founding signatory of the initiative.
- It covers the entire technology stack, including critical minerals and data centers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Q2. In the context of India’s ‘Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL)’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It is a joint venture between NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Mines.
- Its primary mandate is to identify and acquire critical mineral assets within the Indian territory.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q3. Which of the following minerals are included in India’s official list of 30 critical minerals?
- Lithium
- Cobalt
- Silicon
- Coking Coal
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4 only(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answers:
Q1: (b) – India joined in Feb 2026, while the inaugural summit was in Dec 2025.
Q2: (d) – KABIL is a JV of NALCO, HCL, and MECL focused on overseas assets.
Q3: (d) – All four are currently on the critical list (Coking coal was added to strengthen industrial security)
Sources
- PIB News – [PRID: 2230648] India Joins Pax Silica at India AI Impact Summit 2026.
- U.S. Department of State – Pax Silica Declaration and Fact Sheet (Dec 2025/Feb 2026).
- Ministry of Mines (GoI) – Official List of 30 Critical Minerals & KABIL mandate.
- India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) – Official Portal & ISM 2.0 Guidelines.
- NCERT Class 12 Geography – Concepts of Mineral Resources and Industries.
