The United States views India as a vital strategic partner in securing global supply chains for artificial intelligence and semiconductors, a senior White House advisor said, highlighting deepening technological cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking on the sidelines of the AI-India Impact Summit in New Delhi, Sriram Krishnan, Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence, emphasised that Washington is keen to combine American innovation with India’s scale to develop tools that directly improve citizens’ lives.

“All the leading model companies are based in the US… the US is by far putting in the most investment,” Krishnan said, pointing to massive spending on advanced chips and computing infrastructure. “Our pitch is that we want to be the best partner when it comes to AI.”

Leveraging US Innovation For Indian Needs

Krishnan suggested that India’s primary opportunity lies not in replicating the US model but in deploying AI to solve large-scale public challenges such as education and healthcare.

“When people talk about what a country like India should do, I think about how do you use AI… leverage all of the innovation happening in America… and then build the services and tools you utilise for your citizens,” he said.

He cited an Education Task Force set up by the US as an example of how AI can support teachers rather than replace them.

“It’s all about how do we bring AI into the classroom, not to replace teachers, but to make sure they’re enabled,” Krishnan said, adding that similar approaches could transform healthcare delivery.

AI Action Plan Built On Three Pillars

Krishnan outlined Washington’s broader AI Action Plan, describing it as a strategy grounded in optimism about the technology’s transformative potential. The framework rests on three core pillars: infrastructure development, innovation and international cooperation.

The first priority, he said, is building the enormous energy-intensive infrastructure required to power AI systems.

“AI needs energy. It needs data centres to power the GPUs and the TPUs,” he said, noting that expanding grids, gas turbines and even nuclear power capacity will be essential.

The second pillar focuses on unlocking private-sector innovation by supporting leading AI companies and research efforts.

“We want to make sure we unlock the Geminis of the world, the OpenAIs of the world, the Anthropic[s] of the world,” he said, arguing that breakthroughs in AI will reshape scientific discovery itself.

A third pillar centres on diplomacy and security, reflecting the geopolitical dimension of AI competition.

TRUST Initiative Anchors Bilateral Cooperation

The advisor also highlighted the TRUST initiative – Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology – launched during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in February 2025. The framework aims to deepen collaboration across governments, academia and industry in critical technologies.

Under TRUST, India and the US have committed to building resilient supply chains in areas such as semiconductors, critical minerals, advanced materials, biotechnology and energy.

A key component of the initiative is a planned joint roadmap on accelerating AI infrastructure, expected to involve private-sector participation from both countries.

Transformational Moment For Humanity

Krishnan framed the current technological shift as a historic turning point, suggesting that cooperation among allies will determine how AI shapes the future global order.

“A lot of scientific discovery is going to change, and we are only getting started,” he said. “I think it is a time of great excitement… one of the transformational times for humanity.”

His remarks reflect growing recognition in Washington that India’s market size, talent pool and digital infrastructure make it indispensable to the future of AI deployment, even as core innovation continues to be concentrated in the United States.

As geopolitical competition increasingly centres on technology and supply chains, the US-India partnership is emerging as a central axis in shaping the next phase of the global AI economy.

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