As economic globalization faces mounting global headwinds, two of Asia’s largest democracies are moving to cement their strategic partnership, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding high-stakes talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Tuesday. This meeting marks the latest milestone in steadily warming bilateral ties, coming on the heels of Prabowo’s appearance as chief guest at India’s 2023 Republic Day celebrations, and is Modi’s second visit to Indonesia as prime minister following his 2018 trip.
Modi touched down in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, Monday afternoon to kick off a three-day tour of Southeast Asia’s largest economy — the first stop on a broader Indo-Pacific itinerary that will also take him to Australia and New Zealand. In a clear signal of the priority Jakarta places on its relationship with New Delhi, Modi’s aircraft was escorted into Indonesian airspace by three fighter jets, and President Prabowo personally greeted the Indian leader on the tarmac of Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base.
Following a formal welcome ceremony at Merdeka Palace, Indonesia’s central presidential office, the two leaders began closed-door discussions focused on six core pillars of cooperation: defense and security, trade and investment, food security, energy security, access to critical minerals, and cross-sector capacity building in health and education. Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, who like many Indonesians goes by a single name, confirmed ahead of the summit that at least eight bilateral agreements and multiple memorandums of understanding would be unveiled during Modi’s visit.
New Delhi’s top diplomat to Jakarta, Indian Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, highlighted that defense cooperation will take center stage in the talks, noting that discussions over Indonesia’s potential acquisition of India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system have progressed to an advanced stage. Beyond arms procurement, the two nations are set to expand collaboration on maritime security, a priority for both states that share overlapping strategic interests along the vital shipping lanes connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The summit will also advance digital and economic cooperation: a key event during the visit will be the planned launch of the Indonesia Open Network, a digital commerce platform modeled after India’s widely praised digital public infrastructure framework. Later in the visit, on Wednesday, Modi will travel to the historic Javanese city of Yogyakarta, where he is expected to formally launch an Indian-funded restoration project at Prambanan Temple, Indonesia’s iconic UNESCO-listed Hindu cultural heritage site. The project was agreed in principle during Prabowo’s 2023 visit to India.
In addition to his official summits, Modi is scheduled to address a plenary session of Indonesia’s parliament on Tuesday, before meeting with members of the large Indian diaspora community based in Indonesia at an evening reception.
Both India and Indonesia hold shared membership in the Group of 20 major global economies and the BRICS bloc of emerging market nations, creating additional alignment on multilateral issues. Speaking ahead of the visit, Chakravorty emphasized the broader geopolitical significance of closer ties between the two leading Global South 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,” he told reporters.
After concluding his engagements in Indonesia, Modi will depart for Australia on Wednesday to meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for the next leg of his Indo-Pacific tour.