India’s engineering workforce and talent pool are seen as a significant rival to China, according to a senior Trump administration official. Jacob Helberg, the US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, highlighted India’s importance as a key partner in developing secure technology ecosystems and reducing global dependence on China. He emphasized India’s democratic alignment, engineering capabilities, mineral refining capacity, and growing technology ecosystem as key factors that set it apart.
Helberg praised India’s role in technology and artificial intelligence diplomacy, noting India’s early commitment to the PAX Declaration and its active participation in related initiatives. He also mentioned India’s significant contributions in areas such as memory capacity, mineral refining, and AI applications, highlighting the potential for deeper collaboration between the two countries in these domains.
The official underscored the need to diversify global supply chains and reduce overdependence on China. He emphasized the importance of increasing production capacity outside of China to mitigate risks associated with concentrated supply chains. Helberg outlined India’s potential as a strategic partner in this endeavor, particularly in building a shared developer ecosystem and fostering entrepreneurship in the technology sector.
Helberg cautioned against the notion of “digital sovereignty” or “AI sovereignty” that advocates for full local control of technology stacks. He argued that such an approach could be economically detrimental, diverting resources from innovation. Instead, he advocated for an ecosystem-based approach where trusted partners collaborate and leverage each other’s strengths for mutual benefit.
