‘India Only Country That Rivals China’: US Under Secretary Hails New Delhi’s Engineering Talent

Last Updated:June 30, 2026, 07:16 IST

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.

US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jacob Helberg.

US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jacob Helberg has said that India is the only country capable of rivaling China in terms of the depth of its engineering workforce and talent pool.

Speaking at the IX USISPF Leadership Summit 2026, the top US official endorsed India’s technological prowess, saying that New Delhi is an “indispensable” partner in the global race for technology dominance.

Helberg said that India’s vast pool of engineers, growing technology ecosystem and expanding economy make it a crucial partner for the United States in building the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) and deep-tech innovation.

“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 said as quoted by news agency ANI.

“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,” he added.

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.”

Emphasising closer collaboration, Helberg said Washington wants to foster a shared developer ecosystem with India, describing it as the foundation of the two countries’ expanding technology partnership.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the summit, Helberg said India was “totally committed to the future” and that both countries were “completely in lockstep” on building a complementary AI developer ecosystem.

He also indicated that discussions on broader technology cooperation were continuing, pointing to the US Commerce Department’s recently launched trusted partner programme as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen high-tech collaboration.

“Those conversations are still unfolding. I’m sure you followed the news over the weekend that the Commerce Department recently rolled out a trusted partner program, and so we’re continuing that process,” he said.

The remarks come amid growing momentum in India-US technology ties. Helberg recently met Electronics and Information Technology Secretary S Krishnan to discuss expanding cooperation in the global AI economy and encouraging American companies to build, invest and innovate in India.

In a post on X after the meeting, Helberg said the two sides discussed strengthening technology cooperation and unlocking new opportunities for shared growth, underscoring the United States’ commitment to deeper engagement with India in artificial intelligence and other critical technologies.

This diplomatic momentum follows structural foundations laid down earlier this year during the AI Impact Summit, cementing a shared trajectory where the US and India view each other’s tech sectors not as competitors, but as completely complementary assets.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre…Read More

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