New Delhi, JUly 07:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday announced an ambitious expansion of the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, unveiling a broad agenda covering defence, maritime security, healthcare, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, education, agriculture, critical minerals, space cooperation and cultural exchanges, while declaring that bilateral relations have entered a “golden chapter” with far-reaching implications for the Indo-Pacific.
Addressing a joint press statement after wide-ranging delegation-level talks in Jakarta, Modi said the relationship between the two maritime democracies had gained fresh momentum in recent years and was now poised for a transformative phase driven by shared strategic interests and common aspirations.
“First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my friend, President Prabowo, for the warm welcome extended to me. Last year, India had the privilege of welcoming him as the Chief Guest for our Republic Day celebrations. Today, I am delighted to be visiting Indonesia at his gracious invitation,” Modi said, highlighting the growing warmth in ties between the two leaders.
The Prime Minister’s remarks came shortly after he received Indonesia’s highest civilian honour, the Bintang Adipurna of the Republic of Indonesia (Star of the Republic of Indonesia), from President Prabowo at the Istana Merdeka Presidential Palace. Accepting the award, Modi dedicated the honour to the people of India, describing it as a tribute to the enduring friendship and shared civilisational heritage of the two nations.
“This morning, I was deeply honoured to receive Indonesia’s highest civilian award with great warmth and affection. This honour belongs to the millions of people of India. It reflects the goodwill of the people of Indonesia and symbolises the historic and deeply cherished ties between India and Indonesia. I sincerely thank President Prabowo, the Government of Indonesia, and the people of this country for this honour,” he said.
Modi said the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, launched in 2018, had matured into a multidimensional relationship encompassing development, security, technology, education and cultural exchanges, expressing confidence that the decisions taken during the visit would usher in a new era of cooperation.
“Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2018, is now reaching new heights. We are making significant progress across every sector, including development, security, technology, culture and education. I am confident that today marks the
India, Indonesia
beginning of a golden chapter in the India-Indonesia partnership. This new chapter will have a profoundly positive impact not only on the 21st-century world but on humanity as a whole,” he said.
Strengthening defence and maritime cooperation emerged as a central outcome of the summit. The two countries agreed to expand defence exchanges, enhance industrial collaboration and deepen cooperation in disaster management as part of efforts to reinforce security architecture in the Indo-Pacific.
“The growing trust between our two countries is strengthening our defence, security and maritime cooperation. Today, we agreed to expand defence exchanges, disaster management cooperation and industrial collaboration,” Modi said.
The leaders also announced closer collaboration between their Coast Guards to improve maritime safety and security across the Indian Ocean, while committing to greater cooperation in the blue economy, port development and maritime trade.
“Our two Coast Guards will now work together to enhance maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean. As two close maritime nations, we have also decided to strengthen cooperation in the blue economy, port development and maritime trade,” he added.
Social development and poverty alleviation also figured prominently in the discussions. Modi said India had shared its experience in implementing large-scale welfare initiatives, including the Mid-Day Meal Scheme and the Public Distribution System, to support Indonesia’s efforts to improve food security and public welfare.
“For both India and Indonesia, defeating poverty and ensuring that the benefits of welfare schemes reach every citizen remain the highest priorities. We have shared with Indonesia our experiences and solutions related to the Mid-Day Meal Scheme and the Public Distribution System. We are now taking this cooperation to the next level,” he said.
Healthcare cooperation received a major boost with an agreement aimed at making affordable Indian medicines more widely available in Indonesia while strengthening capacity-building programmes for doctors and healthcare professionals.
“Our health cooperation will make an important contribution to ensuring quality healthcare services in both countries. The agreement signed today will make India’s high-quality and affordable medicines more easily available to the people of Indonesia. We will also contribute to the capacity building of Indonesian doctors and healthcare workers,” Modi said.
Agriculture was identified as another priority area, with India agreeing to supply wheat seeds developed by Indian scientists and collaborate with Indonesia on sustainable farming practices and agricultural technologies.
“The supply of wheat seeds developed in India will further strengthen Indonesia’s food security. We will also exchange best practices in sustainable farming and agricultural technology,” the Prime Minister said.
Technology and innovation featured prominently in the agreements signed during the visit. Modi said both countries would strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, telecommunications and digital public infrastructure while promoting closer engagement between their startup ecosystems.
“The 21st century is a technology-driven century. Both India and Indonesia are nations powered by youthful energy, and our young people have a natural inclination towards technology. Today, we signed an important agreement to strengthen cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, telecommunications and digital public infrastructure. We also agreed to deepen collaboration between the startup ecosystems of our two countries,” he said.
In a significant education initiative, Modi announced that the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore) would establish a campus in Indonesia, creating new opportunities for students across the ASEAN region.
“We are establishing a campus of India’s prestigious Indian Institute of Management Bangalore in Indonesia. This will greatly benefit young people across the ASEAN region,” he said.
The two countries also agreed to broaden their longstanding cooperation in space through joint research, technology sharing and capacity-building initiatives.
Recognising the strategic importance of resilient industrial supply chains, India and Indonesia concluded agreements to strengthen cooperation in critical minerals and steel, with companies from both countries launching partnerships in stainless steel and rare-earth magnets.
“In today’s world, resilience in technology supply chains is of critical importance. We have also concluded an important agreement to strengthen supply chains in critical minerals and steel. Our companies are launching new partnerships in stainless steel and rare-earth magnets,” Modi said.
Another landmark announcement was the planned integration of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Indonesia’s digital payment system, a move expected to facilitate business transactions and simplify travel between the two countries.
“People-to-people ties remain the greatest strength of our relationship. We are delighted that India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will soon be integrated with Indonesia’s payment system. This will promote both ease of doing business and ease of travel,” Modi said.
The leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to preserving their shared cultural heritage. Modi announced that he and President Prabowo would jointly launch the conservation project for the historic Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, describing the centuries-old monument as a powerful symbol of the civilisational links between India and Indonesia.
“Tomorrow, together with President Prabowo, I will have the privilege of launching the conservation project for the Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta. The Prambanan Temple, which is over a thousand years old, stands as a symbol of the shared cultural heritage of India and Indonesia,” he said.
Further strengthening cultural diplomacy, the two countries will commemorate the centenary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to Indonesia by observing it as the “Tagore and Dewantara Year of Cultural and Educational Diplomacy.”
“Our two countries will also celebrate with great enthusiasm the centenary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s historic visit to Indonesia. The great educationist and Indonesia’s first Education Minister, Ki Hadjar Dewantara, made an immense contribution to the country’s development. His educational philosophy was deeply influenced by the ideas of Gurudev Tagore. Therefore, India and Indonesia will commemorate this centenary as the ‘Tagore and Dewantara Year of Cultural and Educational Diplomacy,'” Modi said.
The two leaders also agreed to strengthen democratic cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding between their Election Commissions, reflecting their shared commitment to democratic institutions and pluralistic values.
On regional and global issues, Modi reiterated India’s strong support for ASEAN centrality and said New Delhi’s vision for the Indo-Pacific remained closely aligned with Indonesia’s. Stressing the importance of diplomacy in an increasingly uncertain world, he reaffirmed India’s support for a peaceful resolution of the Palestine issue.
“In this period of global uncertainty, India believes that the role of dialogue and diplomacy has become more important than ever before. On the issue of Palestine, we support a Two-State Solution and lasting peace,” he said.
India and Indonesia share a relationship that spans more than two millennia, rooted in maritime commerce, cultural exchanges and the spread of Hindu and Buddhist traditions across the Indonesian archipelago. Since elevating ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018, the two countries have significantly expanded cooperation in defence, trade, healthcare, connectivity, renewable energy, digital technologies and Indo-Pacific security. Indonesia is India’s largest trading partner in ASEAN, and both nations play increasingly important roles in regional and global forums, including ASEAN, the East Asia Summit, the G20 and the Indian Ocean region.
Modi also expressed optimism that the strengthened partnership would contribute not only to the prosperity of India and Indonesia but also to regional stability and global peace.
“A golden era is now knocking at the doors of both our nations. We share a common culture in our history. We share mutual trust in our present. And we share a vision of common prosperity for our future. I am confident that together we will realize the vision of Indonesia Emas and Viksit Bharat,” he said.
