US, India Join Hands To Secure Undersea Cables, Eye Global Digital Hub Role For New Delhi

The United States and India have stepped up cooperation to strengthen the security, resilience and diversification of global undersea cable networks, with Washington highlighting India's potential to emerge as a major global hub for subsea digital 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.

“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.

US Eyes India As Key Undersea Cable Hub

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 US Embassy said subsea cables underpin global digital commerce, data centres, cloud platforms and the rapidly expanding AI economy, making secure and resilient networks essential to international connectivity.

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 embassy said.

The cooperation comes as both countries seek to build more resilient digital infrastructure and diversify technology and supply-chain networks.

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.

“India's one of those partners,” Gor said, referring to Washington's focus on trusted collaborators in emerging technologies.

He also highlighted India's participation in the US-led Pax Silica initiative, a trusted technology and supply-chain network.

“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.

TRUST Initiative Targets AI, Data Centres And Critical Tech

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 covers defence, AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy and space, while promoting trusted technology vendors and safeguards for sensitive technologies.

As part of the initiative, the two countries had also committed to developing a US-India Roadmap on Accelerating AI Infrastructure, 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, advance AI models and applications, and address safeguards and regulatory barriers.

The latest undersea cable cooperation adds another critical layer to that technology partnership, linking India's ambitions in AI and digital infrastructure with the broader US effort to build secure and resilient global technology networks.