&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Only country on earth': US says only India can rival China's engineering talent pool, calls New Delhi an 'indispensable' tech partner")
In one of the strongest endorsements yet of India's growing role in the global technology race, a senior US official has described India as an "indispensable" partner and the only country capable of matching China's vast engineering talent base. Speaking at the IX USISPF Leadership Summit 2026, Jacob Helberg, the US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, declared that India stands alone globally in its capacity to match China's massive technical talent pool.
India only country that can rival China
"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.
His comments arrive at a time when Washington is increasingly looking to New Delhi as a critical partner in emerging technologies, particularly as competition with China intensifies.
Why India matters in the AI race
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For the United States, the attraction goes beyond market size. Helberg noted that India's combination of a large population, a rapidly expanding economy and one of the world's deepest engineering workforces gives it a unique position in the global technology ecosystem.
According to him, India is already making substantial contributions at the application layer of technology, a space where innovations are transformed into products and services used by millions of people. "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 said.
Meanwhile, Washington appears increasingly focused on creating what Helberg described as a shared developer ecosystem between the two countries. He noted that India's booming population, combined with its 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," he said.
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'India is totally committed to the future'
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the summit, Helberg said that ongoing conversations with Indian counterparts have convinced Washington that New Delhi sees AI as a national priority.
"The big takeaway is India is totally committed to the future," he said. "It has one of the world's deepest engineering workforces in the world. And we are completely in lockstep when it comes to building an AI developer ecosystem that is positive-sum and complementary."
