The US and India are collaborating to secure global undersea cable networks, while strengthening India’s potential to become a major hub for digital connectivity and AI infrastructure.
The United States and India are working together to improve the security, resilience and diversification of global undersea cable networks, highlighting India’s growing importance in international digital connectivity.
The partnership brings government and industry stakeholders together to address risks surrounding subsea communication infrastructure, which carries a substantial share of global digital communications and supports modern economies.
The initiative also reflects the growing strategic importance of reliable connectivity as demand for cloud computing, data centres and artificial intelligence services continues to rise.
Undersea cables are a critical part of the world’s communications infrastructure. They connect countries and enable the movement of data required for digital businesses, cloud platforms, financial services and AI applications.
The US Embassy in India highlighted the importance of protecting these networks while announcing the countries’ collaboration.
The two nations recently brought together government officials and industry representatives for an Undersea Cables Workshop, focused on strengthening the safety and resilience of critical subsea infrastructure.
India’s expanding digital economy could give the country an increasingly important role in global undersea connectivity.
Its geographical position provides connectivity between major markets, while rapid growth in digital services is increasing demand for reliable data infrastructure. The expansion of cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data centres is further increasing the need for high-capacity international connections.
The US-India partnership could support India’s ambitions to develop into a leading global subsea cable hub, potentially strengthening its position within international digital infrastructure networks.
The undersea cable collaboration forms part of the broader US-India TRUST (Transforming the Relationship Utilising Strategic Technologies) Initiative.
The initiative focuses on expanding cooperation between the two countries in strategically important technologies. Areas covered include artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy and space.
The framework also encourages collaboration between governments, universities and private companies to develop and deploy emerging technologies while improving technology security.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has previously highlighted India’s importance as a trusted partner in emerging technologies.
He said the TRUST initiative is designed to deepen cooperation between the two countries across several critical technology sectors. India’s participation in the Pax Silica initiative has also been highlighted as evidence of growing technology and supply-chain cooperation.
The broader objective is to create resilient technology ecosystems and supply chains involving trusted partners.
The partnership comes as governments worldwide increasingly focus on the security and reliability of critical digital infrastructure.
Undersea cables are particularly important because disruptions can affect international communications and digital services. Greater diversification and resilience can help reduce vulnerabilities and improve the reliability of global connectivity.
For India, stronger subsea infrastructure could support its expanding technology ecosystem and help attract additional investments in cloud services, data centres and AI-related infrastructure.
AI infrastructure is another major focus of the TRUST initiative. The two countries have committed to developing a roadmap aimed at accelerating AI infrastructure in India.
The proposed framework is intended to identify challenges related to financing, construction, electricity supply and connectivity for large-scale AI facilities.
The initiative also seeks to encourage private-sector partnerships and investment in next-generation data centres.
The US and India are also looking to expand cooperation in computing resources and processors required for artificial intelligence.
The partnership includes opportunities for collaboration on AI models, computing infrastructure and applications designed to address societal challenges. At the same time, both countries recognise the importance of appropriate safeguards for sensitive technologies.
Reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers while maintaining security controls is another part of the broader cooperation framework.
The collaboration on subsea cables comes at a time when India is expanding its role in the global digital economy.
Reliable international connectivity will become increasingly important as the country scales cloud computing, AI services, data centres and other digital technologies. Stronger cooperation with the US could help India build resilient infrastructure while increasing its attractiveness as a technology and connectivity destination.
Conclusion
The US-India partnership on undersea cable security represents an important step in strengthening critical digital infrastructure. Alongside cooperation under the TRUST initiative, the effort could help improve global connectivity while supporting India’s ambition to emerge as a major subsea cable and AI infrastructure hub.