US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Friday underscored pharmaceuticals and the Pax Silica technology partnership as central pillars of the expanding India-US strategic relationship, declaring that Washington views India as a trusted partner in securing critical supply chains and shaping future technologies.

Speaking at the US-India TRUST Initiative event titled “Advancing Partnership in Research and Innovation” at IIT Delhi, Gor emphasised India’s growing role in pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence and semiconductor supply chains, describing the country as an emerging global power centre.

Gor stated that the current administration had identified new centres of power and that India’s importance was immediate and undeniable. He highlighted India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing strength, noting that nearly 40 per cent of generic medicines consumed in the United States are sourced from India.

He explained that this reliance was rooted in trust, as these medicines are critical, life-saving ingredients essential for American healthcare.

The envoy detailed ongoing efforts under the TRUST initiative to strengthen resilient pharmaceutical supply chains, including collaboration on active pharmaceutical ingredients and critical medicines.

He recalled that last year leaders from both nations agreed to encourage public and private investments to expand manufacturing capacity in India and the United States. According to Gor, these commitments had already delivered results, with India playing a major role in expanding production.

Investment flows were a major focus of his remarks. Gor revealed that India had emerged as a leading contributor to new US-bound investments, particularly in pharmaceuticals. He cited figures showing that India accounted for 20.5 billion dollars in announced new investments for the coming year, with 19 billion dollars of that linked directly to the pharmaceutical sector.

He stressed that this was not merely an economic matter but also a strategic effort to de-risk global supply chains and prevent medicine shortages that could endanger lives.

The ambassador also placed significant emphasis on India’s inclusion in the Pax Silica initiative, a US-backed trusted technology and supply chain framework centred on artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum technologies.

He explained that India was among the first ten trusted countries invited to join Pax Silica, a decision he said reflected deep confidence in India’s people, technology and government. Gor noted that within two weeks of India’s inclusion, sixty other countries expressed interest in joining, underscoring the initiative’s global appeal.

According to Gor, Pax Silica is designed to build trusted ecosystems and resilient supply chains for technologies that will define the future, including AI, semiconductors and quantum computing. He linked this effort to the broader TRUST initiative launched during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s February visit to Washington, which he described as a framework to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence, defence, biotechnology, energy and space. He said the partnership was well positioned to lead in shaping the global balance of power as critical and emerging technologies continue to transform international dynamics.

Gor further highlighted that growing American investments reflected confidence in India’s policy environment and strategic reliability.

He praised India’s forward-leaning government for cutting and changing rules to accommodate major technology companies, which he said were now eager to expand in trusted territories such as India. He concluded by stressing that the partnership was at a defining moment, with both nations poised to lead in innovation and resilience across critical sectors.

ANI