NEW DELHI : The United States and India are strengthening cooperation to improve the security, resilience and diversification of global undersea cable networks. Washington has also highlighted India’s potential to emerge as a major global hub for subsea digital infrastructure, amid rising demand for cloud services and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The US Embassy in India said the two countries brought together government and industry experts in September for an “Undersea Cables Workshop” focused on protecting critical communication infrastructure. The workshop forms part of wider efforts to strengthen the resilience of digital networks connecting global markets.
“Undersea cables are the backbone of global digital connectivity powering economies, cloud services, and the AI revolution,” the US Embassy said in a post on X. The embassy said subsea networks underpin global digital commerce, data centres, cloud platforms and the rapidly expanding AI economy.
The partnership is being pursued under the US-India TRUST (Transforming the Relationship Utilising Strategic Technologies) Initiative, which covers cooperation in critical and emerging technologies. The initiative provides a broader framework for the two countries to work together on technologies considered important to economic and national security.
India’s growing digital economy, rising demand for cloud and AI infrastructure and strategic location connecting major global markets could position it as a key global subsea cable hub, the US Embassy said. Stronger cable infrastructure could also support India’s expanding role in global digital connectivity and technology services.
Building Resilient Networks
The cooperation comes as both countries seek to build more resilient digital infrastructure and diversify technology and supply-chain networks. Secure undersea cables are increasingly important to maintaining reliable international connectivity as data traffic, cloud adoption and AI-related infrastructure continue to expand.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said in May that the TRUST initiative was deepening cooperation in areas including AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy and space. He also highlighted India’s participation in the US-led Pax Silica initiative, a trusted technology and supply-chain network.
India’s one of those partners,”Gor said, referring to Washington’s focus on trusted collaborators in emerging technologies. He added that India’s early participation in Pax Silica reflected the level of trust between the two countries in technology, governance and broader strategic cooperation.
“The reason India was in the first top 10 countries around the world to join this is that we trust this place. We trust the people here, we trust the technology, we trust your government,” Gor said.
Expanding Technology Cooperation
The US-India TRUST initiative was launched during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in February last year to expand government, academic and private-sector cooperation in critical and emerging technologies. The initiative has since provided a platform for cooperation across several strategic technology sectors.
As part of the initiative, the two countries also committed to developing a US-India Roadmap on Accelerating AI Infrastructure. The roadmap is aimed at identifying barriers to financing, building, powering and connecting large-scale US-origin AI infrastructure in India.
The roadmap is also intended to support partnerships and investment in next-generation data centres, improve access to computing and processors for AI, and advance AI models and applications. It also seeks to address safeguards and regulatory barriers that could affect the development of AI infrastructure.
The latest undersea cable cooperation adds another layer to the broader US-India technology partnership. It links India’s ambitions in AI and digital infrastructure with the wider US effort to build secure, resilient and diversified global technology networks.
