As India formally joined the United States’ flagship initiative Pax Silica on Friday at the ongoing AI Impact summit, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw did not leave the opportunity to take a dig at the opposition while he was on the stage.
While talking about AI chips, the minister took a ‘potato chip’ jibe at the Opposition and said that they will keep crying but India must move forward.
Without directly mentioning any names, Vaishnaw made the remarks in Hindi, which loosely translates to, “There are some people who talk about ‘chips’ which only remind me of ‘potato chips’. Let them be, they will keep crying. Sometimes they cry in the Parliament…All that will keep going on but we must keep moving forward in a clear direction”.
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Meanwhile, he also thanked his colleagues foreign minister S Jaishankar and commerce minister Piyush Goyal, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “making it all possible”.
By “all” meant — “this entire AI impact summit, the silicon supply chain that we are building, and that huge set of new opportunities which are coming for the young population which is here.”
{{/usCountry}}By “all” meant — “this entire AI impact summit, the silicon supply chain that we are building, and that huge set of new opportunities which are coming for the young population which is here.”
{{/usCountry}}Also read: 'Historic milestone': India-US sign declaration on key AI initiative 'Pax Silica'
“India today is a young nation, with a median age of 28 years. It has a long growth path ahead. Even in 2047, India will remain a young nation, with a median age of 37 years. That means that beyond 2047 as well, there will be a growth period of another 50 years,” Vaishnaw said during his address at the signing of Pax Silica.
'Potential for India-US to work together is limitless’
US ambassador to India Sergio Gor also addressed the gathering during the signing and said that one thing about India which struck him the most was not just the country’s scale, but its “resolve and determination” to chart its own course.
“I keep talking about the limitless potential between our two nations, and I truly mean it. From the trade deal to Pax Silica to defence cooperation, the potential for our two nations to work together is truly limitless. I aim to fulfil that over the next three years that I'm here,” he said.
Talking about what Pax Silica is, Gor said that it is a “strategic coalition being formed to shape the 21st-century economic and technological order, securing the full silicon stack—from critical minerals and chip manufacturing to AI deployment.”
“Called ‘Pax Silica’, it aims to replace coercive dependencies with trusted industrial partnerships that empower free markets. India’s participation is described as strategic and essential, citing its engineering talent, mineral processing strides, and role in strengthening U.S.-India tech cooperation. The partnership seeks to advance trusted AI globally, emphasising that peace comes through strength,” he said.