Sergio Gor assumes charge as new US Ambassador to India, says 'No country is more essential than…’

Amid the strained US-India relations and H-1B visa overhaul, Ambassador Sergio Gor on Monday assumed charge as the new US Ambassador to India, and stressed that “no partner is more essential than India”, as reported by ANI.

Gor said, “No partner is more essential than India. In the months and years ahead, it is my goal as ambassador to pursue a very ambitious agenda. We will do this as true strategic partners, each bringing strength, respect, and leadership to the table.”

The new US envoy noted that he arrived in the country with deep respect and a firm goal of strengthening and advancing the relationship between the two nations.

“This is the intersection between the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy... During my last dinner with him, President Trump recounted his last visit to India and also his great friendship with the great Prime Minister of India. I hope the President will be visiting us soon, hopefully in the next year or two... President Trump has a habit of calling at 2 in the morning, and with the time difference in New Delhi, it might work out pretty well,” he added.

“India is the world's largest nation. So it's not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there, and while trade is very important for our relationship, we will continue to work closely together on other very important areas such as security, counter-terrorism, energy, technology, education, and health,” he added.

Announcing India's proposed inclusion, he said, "I am pleased to announce that India will be invited to join PaxSilica as a full member next month."

Elaborating on the initiative, Gor said, "Also want to share with you today a new initiative that the United States launched just last month called PaxSilica. PaxSilica is a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure, prosperous, and innovation-driven silicon supply chain from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI development, and logistics."

The US ambassador said the initiative aims to bring together these nations to strengthen cooperation across the entire silicon value chain, from raw materials to advanced technologies and logistics.

He also noted that several countries have already joined the PaxSilica initiative. "Nations that joined last month include Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Israel," Gor said, adding that India's inclusion would further strengthen the group.

According to the ambassador, India's invitation as a full member reflects its growing role in global technology, manufacturing and innovation ecosystems.

PaxSilica is positioned as a key platform for cooperation among partner nations to ensure secure and resilient supply chains in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.

The pact is aimed at building a secure, prosperous, and innovation-driven silicon supply chain, from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and logistics.

Pax Silica aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence, and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale, according to a statement from the US Department of State.

"Pax Silica is a positive-sum partnership. It is not about isolating others--but about coordinating with partners who want to remain competitive and prosperous," Office of the spokesperson of the US State Department said, as reported by ANI.

According to the US administration, across the United States and partner nations, a clear consensus has emerged that securing supply chains, trusted technology, and resilient infrastructure is indispensable to national power and economic growth.

(With inputs from ANI)