In a major endorsement of India’s technological prowess, the United States has called India an “indispensable” partner in the global race for technology dominance.
Speaking at the IX USISPF Leadership Summit 2026, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jacob Helberg declared that India stands alone globally in its capacity to match China’s massive technical talent pool.
The statement highlights a rapidly consolidating tech alliance between Washington and New Delhi, heavily focused on deep-tech collaboration, artificial intelligence (AI), and cross-border developer networks.
Addressing a high-powered audience of policymakers and Fortune 500 tech executives, Helberg emphasised that India’s massive workforce is uniquely positioned to drive the next generation of global software adoption.
“India obviously is the only country on earth that fundamentally rivals China with respect to the depth of its engineering workforce and talent pool,” Helberg remarked. “It has a true nascent technology ecosystem and is making some pretty incredible contributions at the application layer, which we think is absolutely essential for technology diffusion.”
Helberg noted that the combination of India’s booming population, vast engineering pool, and rapid economic growth makes it a prime market for creating cutting-edge services. “That is why we want to foster a ‘developer ecosystem’ with India a shared developer ecosystem and we recognise that this truly forms the foundation of our multifaceted collaboration with them.”
