What Pax Silica Reveals About India’s Vulnerability in Global Tech Supply Chains

• The exclusion of India from the new US-led 'Pax Silica' semiconductor alliance highlights the country's critical reliance on foreign technology.
• Achieving strategic autonomy requires a significant, durable increase in public and private R&D investment across chips, energy, and advanced research.
• Current technology gaps in semiconductor manufacturing, quantum computing, and energy infrastructure pose risks to India's long-term economic and national security.

Semiconductor and Pharmaceutical Dependence

• India remains entirely import-dependent for semiconductors; it must expedite 'Semiconductor Mission 2.0' with its proposed ₹1.76 lakh crore budget to compete with global leaders like China and South Korea.
• Reliance on China for over 70% of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) remains a severe vulnerability; government schemes require more funding to cut this dependence by 50% within three years.

Quantum Computing Gap

• India's quantum efforts are nascent, with public investment (US$1 billion) lagging significantly behind China (US$15.3 billion) and the USA (US$3.7 billion).
• While firms like IBM and companies in China target 1,000 to 100,000-qubit systems, Indian research remains largely limited to systems under 100 qubits.

Energy and Sustainability Challenges

• India imports over 85% of lithium-ion batteries for its 1.75 million EVs; research into sodium-ion alternatives is essential due to lower costs and water usage.
• Coal generates 75% of India's electricity, necessitating faster adoption of CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage) technologies, potentially in partnership with coal-producing nations like Australia.
• The nuclear sector needs to fast-track its pipeline of 18 reactors and SMR (Small Modular Reactor) projects to strengthen decentralized energy security, leveraging collaborations with Russia, Japan, and France.