The United States Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, announced on Monday that Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel is visiting the country. In a post on X, Gor described Gabriel as his "great friend," highlighting the personal rapport underpinning this official trip.

This visit underscores the intensifying diplomatic rhythm between Washington and New Delhi amid shared geopolitical priorities.

Gabriel's arrival follows closely on the heels of other senior US officials' engagements in India. Just recently, United States Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg attended the Global AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where India formally signed onto the US-led Pax Silica initiative.

Helberg emphasised to ANI that the partnership reinforces mutual economic security, positioning India as a pivotal ally in technology supply chains.

Helberg elaborated on the initiative's significance during his remarks. He noted the presence of major American firms like Google, which unveiled a transpacific submarine cable linking India directly to the United States, and Micron, which advanced semiconductor fabrication projects complementing its US operations. These developments signal a deepening integration across the supply chain stack, from raw materials to advanced manufacturing.

Pax Silica, as Helberg described, represents an innovative economic security coalition unbound by traditional geopolitical alignments. Unlike ideology-driven alliances, it prioritises intertwined supply chains as the true binding force among nations. India's participation marks a strategic pivot, leveraging its growing technological prowess to counter vulnerabilities in global semiconductor and AI ecosystems dominated by adversarial powers.

This flurry of visits builds on recent military diplomacy. Admiral Samuel J Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, concluded a five-day trip to India from 14 to 19 February. His itinerary spanned New Delhi, Chandimandir, and Bengaluru, focusing on bolstering interoperability across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace domains.

In New Delhi, Paparo engaged with top Indian defence leaders, including Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi. Discussions centred on India's role in upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific, amid escalating tensions with China and threats to maritime trade routes.

These interactions reflect a maturing India-US strategic convergence. Paparo's visit aimed to align operational priorities, enhancing joint exercises and intelligence-sharing to deter aggression in critical theatres like the Indian Ocean Region and the South China Sea.

The timing of Gabriel's trip aligns with broader US efforts to fortify partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. As Deputy National Security Advisor, Gabriel likely focuses on national security strategy, potentially addressing defence technology transfers, counterterrorism, and supply chain resilience—echoing themes from Helberg's Pax Silica pitch.

India's defence modernisation drive dovetails seamlessly with these overtures. Indigenous initiatives like the Tejas Mk2 fighter, BrahMos missile expansions, and semiconductor self-reliance under schemes like the India Semiconductor Mission position New Delhi as an indispensable partner for the US in offsetting China's dominance.

Economically, Pax Silica's rollout amplifies bilateral trade momentum. US-India trade exceeded $190 billion in 2025, with semiconductors and AI poised for exponential growth. Projects like Micron's Gujarat fab and Google's undersea cable exemplify how shared infrastructure fortifies resilience against disruptions, such as those seen in recent Taiwan Strait flare-ups.

From a geopolitical lens, these engagements signal Washington's pivot towards "minilateral" coalitions. Pax Silica sidesteps rigid blocs like QUAD or AUKUS, inviting flexible participation from like-minded economies. India's endorsement validates this model, blending economic pragmatism with strategic hedging.

Military interoperability gains further traction post-Paparo. Joint exercises like Malabar and Tiger Triumph have evolved, incorporating space and cyber elements. Admiral Paparo's meetings likely advanced co-development prospects, such as drone swarms and hypersonic countermeasures vital for Indo-Pacific stability.

Gabriel's visit may also touch on emerging challenges, including Houthi threats in the Red Sea and North Korean missile provocations. With India's naval deployments in the Arabian Sea, enhanced US-India coordination could streamline logistics and intelligence fusion.

Critically, these ties extend to space domain awareness. India's ASAT capabilities and US Space Force synergies counter orbital threats, ensuring unhindered satellite operations central to both economies.

As India eyes Gaganyaan and expanded PSLV launches, US-India civil-military space collaboration deepens, mirroring defence trends. This multifaceted partnership fortifies deterrence without formal treaty obligations, suiting New Delhi's strategic autonomy.

Robert Gabriel's visit caps a pivotal sequence of engagements, cementing India-US alignment across security, technology, and economic domains. It heralds a new era of resilient coalitions amid flux in the global order.

ANI