India Foundation, in collaboration with Hudson Institute, organised a high-level strategic dialogue titled “The Silicon Partnership: India-US and the Path to AI Power” on 30 April 2026 in New Delhi. The dialogue brought together policymakers, parliamentarians, industry leaders, strategic experts, and technology stakeholders to deliberate on the evolving contours of India–US cooperation in Artificial Intelligence (AI), emerging technologies, semiconductor ecosystems, talent development, and digital governance.
The discussions focused on the growing importance of AI in shaping global economic competitiveness, national security architectures, industrial transformation, and technological sovereignty. Participants highlighted the need for deeper India-US collaboration in creating resilient innovation ecosystems, strengthening trusted technology partnerships, and building democratic frameworks for the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies.
The programme commenced with the inaugural keynote address delivered by Shri Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of States for Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India. In his address, he underscored India’s emergence as a major digital and technological power driven by its demographic dividend, thriving startup ecosystem, digital public infrastructure, and expanding semiconductor and electronics manufacturing capabilities. He emphasised that India’s AI ambitions are closely tied to inclusive growth, governance innovation, and strategic autonomy.
The keynote further highlighted the importance of India-US cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, particularly in the domains of AI research, semiconductor supply chains, talent mobility, cybersecurity, and innovation financing. The Minister noted that trusted partnerships between democratic nations would play a decisive role in shaping the future global technology order.
The dialogue featured two sessions. The first roundtable session explored the broader strategic and geopolitical dimensions of Artificial Intelligence and the opportunities for India and the United States to jointly shape the future technological ecosystem.
The speakers reflected on the rapid transformation of the global AI landscape and the intensifying competition over technological leadership. They discussed the importance of trusted partnerships, resilient supply chains, and cross-border innovation ecosystems in maintaining open and democratic technology frameworks.
Participants highlighted India’s unique strengths, including its vast digital user base, engineering talent pool, entrepreneurial ecosystem, and successful digital governance models. The discussion also addressed the need for strategic investments in compute infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing, data governance frameworks, and advanced research capabilities.
The session emphasised that India and the United States possess complementary strengths that can help create a robust AI partnership capable of advancing innovation while ensuring transparency, accountability, and democratic values in emerging technologies.
The second roundtable focused on the practical and policy-oriented dimensions necessary for translating strategic vision into tangible outcomes.
The speakers discussed the critical importance of policy stability, skill development, industrial partnerships, and research collaboration in building a globally competitive AI ecosystem. Particular attention was given to India’s electronics manufacturing growth, semiconductor ambitions, and the role of public-private collaboration in scaling technological innovation.
The discussion also highlighted the growing demand for AI-ready talent and the need for institutional reforms in higher education, vocational training, and industry-academia collaboration. Participants emphasised that India’s demographic advantage can become a major strategic asset if supported by investments in digital literacy, advanced technical training, and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
The session further explored regulatory approaches to AI governance, ethical concerns surrounding emerging technologies, and the importance of balancing innovation with accountability and security considerations.
The Silicon Partnership: India-US and the Path to AI Power served as an important platform for advancing conversations on the future of India-US technological cooperation. The deliberations reaffirmed the growing convergence between the two democracies in shaping a secure, innovative, and inclusive AI ecosystem capable of addressing both national priorities and global challenges.
