Washington DC, Feb. 6 -- Highlighting India's growing strategic importance in global supply chains, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg on Friday (local time) said that New Delhi is uniquely positioned to rival China in terms of scale and human capital.

He also confirmed that India has been invited to join the Pax Silica initiative.

"Outside of China, India is probably the only other country on Earth to be able to rival China with respect to the breadth and depth of the sheer volume of young, technically trained talent," Helberg said while speaking at the Critical Minerals Ministerial press conference.

Responding to a question on India's absence from the initial group of Pax Silica countries, Helberg said it ...