JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat down with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday in Jakarta, as the two leaders sought to reinforce strategic partnerships between their nations at a time when global economic cooperation faces growing challenges.
The summit, held following a formal ceremony at Indonesia’s main presidential office, the Merdeka Palace, covered a broad range of topics. These included defense and security cooperation, trade and investment, food and energy security, critical minerals, and capacity-building efforts in health and education. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono — who, like many Indonesians, goes by a single name — told reporters ahead of the meeting that eight formal agreements and a number of memorandums of understanding were expected to be unveiled.
This marks Modi’s second visit to Indonesia as prime minister, his first having occurred in 2018. The trip follows President Prabowo’s attendance at India’s Republic Day celebrations as the event’s chief guest last year. Modi landed in Jakarta on Monday afternoon, with his aircraft escorted into Indonesian airspace by three fighter jets. President Prabowo personally greeted him on the tarmac at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, a gesture that underscored the significance Jakarta places on its relationship with New Delhi.
The Jakarta stop is the first leg of a broader Indo-Pacific tour for Modi, which will also take him to Australia and New Zealand. Both India and Indonesia are members of the Group of 20 major economies and of BRICS.
India’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, said Modi was also scheduled to address members of Indonesia’s Parliament on Tuesday and attend an evening gathering with the Indian community living in Indonesia. Chakravorty emphasized that the visit reflects deepening collaboration between two of Asia’s most consequential democracies.
“In the recent geopolitical context, closer ties between two leaders of the Global South are very essential so that we give the message to the world that we are together and we work for each other’s strength,” Chakravorty said.
On the defense front, Chakravorty noted that Indonesia has expressed strong interest in purchasing India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, with negotiations described as having reached an advanced stage. The two nations are also expected to explore broader maritime security arrangements, given their shared strategic interests along major shipping lanes connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Another anticipated highlight of the visit is the planned launch of the Indonesia Open Network, a digital commerce platform modeled after India’s own digital public infrastructure system.
On Wednesday, Modi is expected to travel to the historic Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, where he may formally announce the beginning of an Indian-supported restoration effort at the Prambanan Hindu temple — one of Indonesia’s most treasured cultural heritage sites. That project stems from an agreement made during Prabowo’s earlier visit to India. Later that same day, Modi is set to fly to Australia for meetings with his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese.
