Addressing a joint press statement with President Prabowo, Prime Minister Modi said India and Indonesia were elevating their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through a series of agreements aimed at strengthening collaboration in strategic and economic sectors while advancing their shared vision for the Indo-Pacific region.
“I am confident that today marks the beginning of a golden chapter in the India-Indonesia partnership. This golden chapter will have a profoundly positive impact on the 21st century and on humanity as a whole,” Prime Minister Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi began his remarks by thanking President Prabowo for the warm welcome extended to him and expressed gratitude after receiving Indonesia’s highest civilian honour earlier in the day. He described the recognition as a tribute to the people of India and the enduring friendship between the two nations, saying the award reflected the historic and heartfelt relationship shared by India and Indonesia.
Highlighting the progress made since the launch of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018, Prime Minister Modi said bilateral ties had gained new energy, trust and depth.
Defence and maritime security emerged as major areas of discussion between the two countries. Prime Minister Modi said India and Indonesia had agreed to expand defence exchanges, disaster management cooperation and industrial collaboration. The coast guards of both nations will also increase coordination to strengthen maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean.
“As two close maritime nations, we have decided to strengthen cooperation in the blue economy, port development and maritime trade,” Prime Minister Modi said, highlighting the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific region.
Economic and development cooperation also remained central to the discussions. Prime Minister Modi said India had shared its experience in implementing major welfare initiatives, including the Mid-Day Meal Scheme and the Public Distribution System, and both countries would now take this cooperation to a higher level.
Healthcare was identified as another key pillar of the partnership. Prime Minister Modi announced that an agreement signed during the visit would help make high-quality and affordable Indian medicines more accessible to Indonesian citizens while supporting the training and capacity development of Indonesian doctors and healthcare workers.
India will also provide wheat seeds developed by Indian scientists to support Indonesia’s food security and collaborate on sustainable agriculture and agricultural technology through the exchange of best practices.
Technology and innovation received significant attention during the discussions, with Prime Minister Modi describing the 21st century as a technology-driven era.
“Both India and Indonesia are youthful nations full of energy. Our young people have a natural inclination towards technology. Today we have signed an important agreement to strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, telecommunications and digital public infrastructure,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi also announced plans to establish a campus of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore in Indonesia. He said the institution would serve students across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region and strengthen educational ties between India and Southeast Asia.
In the space sector, Prime Minister Modi said both countries had decided to expand cooperation through joint research, technology sharing and capacity building, building on decades of successful collaboration.
Recognising the importance of resilient supply chains, Prime Minister Modi said India and Indonesia had agreed to strengthen cooperation in critical minerals and steel. He also announced a new phase of industrial partnership between companies of both countries in stainless steel production and rare-earth magnets.
A major announcement for businesses and travellers was the planned integration of India’s Unified Payments Interface with Indonesia’s payment system.
“People-to-people ties are the greatest strength of our relationship. We are delighted that India’s Unified Payments Interface will be integrated with Indonesia’s payment system. This will strengthen both ease of doing business and ease of travel,” Prime Minister Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the deep cultural connections between India and Indonesia. He said he would join President Prabowo in Yogyakarta on Wednesday to launch a conservation project for the Prambanan Temple, describing the millennium-old monument as a symbol of the shared civilisational heritage of the two nations.
The two countries will jointly commemorate the centenary of Rabindranath Tagore’s historic visit to Indonesia through the “Tagore and Dewantara Year of Cultural and Educational Diplomacy”, honouring the Nobel laureate and Indonesia’s first education minister, Ki Hajar Dewantara.
On democratic cooperation, Prime Minister Modi welcomed a new memorandum of understanding between the election commissions of India and Indonesia, saying it would further strengthen institutional collaboration.
Discussing regional and global matters, Prime Minister Modi said India and Indonesia shared a common perspective on the Indo-Pacific and reiterated New Delhi’s support for the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Addressing international conflicts, Prime Minister Modi stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in an increasingly uncertain world and reiterated India’s position on the Israel-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 Palestine, we support a two-state solution and long-term peace,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Prime Minister Modi said India and Indonesia stood at the beginning of a transformative era built on shared history, mutual trust and common aspirations.
“We share a common culture in our history, mutual trust in our present, and shared prosperity in our future. Together, we will realise the aspirations of Indonesia Emas and Viksit Bharat,” he said.
The agreements and announcements made during the visit mark a significant expansion of India-Indonesia ties, strengthening cooperation across strategic, economic, technological and cultural domains while reinforcing the partnership between two major nations in the Indo-Pacific.
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