Congress MP Digvijaya Singh speaks in the Rajya Sabha in New Delhi, Monday, March 23, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI
Senior Congress MP Digvijaya Singh on Monday (March 23, 2026) warned the Union government against joining Pax Silica, terming the US-led project as a step towards digital colonialism.
The US-led initiative is aimed at building resilient supply chains for critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. India joined the coalition in February 2026 during the AI Impact Summit held in Delhi.
During the zero hour in the Rajya Sabha on Monday (March 23), Mr Singh brought the matter to the government’s attention to make the terms of the deal public.
He said Pax Silica will have significant implications for India’s strategic autonomy, data privacy and technical sovereignty, as the project is aimed at cooperation and standard-setting in critical areas such as semiconductors, AI and digital infrastructure, and the United States is a dominant player. “By signing Pax Silica unconditionally, is it a step towards digital colonialism? It is something that concerns every citizen and their privacy,” said a senior official.
He added that the main concern of the project is privacy and data sovereignty. He added that if the country is required to conform to shared standards and systems within this coalition, then there is a possibility that Indian data may be processed or managed through foreign platforms or frameworks. “This raises critical questions about the effectiveness and enforceability of India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Would the private data of an Indian citizen be protected under the DPDP Act?” he asked.
In another issue raised during Zero Hour, Samajwadi MP Jaya Bachchan questioned the “VIP culture” in the Parliament premises. She claimed MPs were blocked during the “VIP” passage. “One has traveled all over the world and seen many VIPs and cavalcades go, but they never stop people on the street,” Ms Bachchan said. “We have never faced such humiliation in the last 22 years in this Parliament. We are not a threat to any of the VIPs, especially the political power,” she added and asked CP Radhakrishnan to take up the matter with the government. “This culture must stop to give dignity to the taxpayers of this country who brought us to this House,” Ms Bachchan said.
Published – 23 March 2026 20:26 IST
