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View all search resultsThe Asian significance of Modi in Indonesia
As Prime Minister Modi heads to Jakarta amid a shifting global order, India and Indonesia are poised to transform their historical ties into a powerhouse strategic partnership spanning everything from missile deals to a new Indo-Pacific democratic alliance.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) and President Prabowo Subianto stroll the grounds of Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Jan. 25, 2025. (AFP/Money Sharma)
F
ollowing decades of close relations, estrangement, mutual indifference and underperformance, India and Indonesia, bound by a comprehensive strategic partnership since 2018, have been working to give their relationship new meaning and strong momentum, especially after President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to India in January 2025.
What the past 18 months have achieved and how bilateral relations may blossom further will become clear when Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in Jakarta this week, as part of a three-country tour that will take him to Australia and New Zealand, too.
This voyage of relationship building is preceded by the visit to India by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Hence, the Indo-Pacific dimension of Modi’s dialogue with leaders of four important democracies in the region, at a time when the United States’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific and the Quad seems to be weakening, will be of wider significance and interest.
The current India-Indonesia bilateral relationship is free from disputes and irritants. The two leaders connect very well, with Prabowo coming across as an admirer of the Indian prime minister’s domestic policies, and with Modi appreciating that the current Indonesian president holds a more calibrated and nuanced view of China’s role in the Indo-Pacific.
In this light, it may be left to the two leaders to use their vantage position to motivate officials, business leaders and others to do more, and with greater speed, to increase substance to cooperation. This kind of practical approach was visible on June 7, when foreign ministers S. Jaishankar and Sugiono cochaired the 8th India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting.
After “a full spectrum” review of ties, they identified avenues for further strengthening collaboration in a slew of diverse areas: political, defense and security, maritime, trade and investment, pharma and health care, digital, energy, connectivity, space, education, consular, culture and people-to-people exchange. It is reasonable to expect that several new memorandums of understanding may be signed, and a clear road map may emerge to nurture and deepen this vital relationship in the coming years.
But the significance of Modi's visit goes beyond this. The two leaders are expected to achieve a closer, more aligned worldview, especially in the aftermath of the wars in Ukraine and the Gulf and amid the emerging entente cordiale between the US and China. The latter, if it materializes fully, will have a significant impact on the region, where India and Indonesia are leading players.
