Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto held discussions on the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation, which included defence, health and pharmaceuticals, economic, and sustainable energy transition among others. President Subianto was invited to be the chief guest of the 76th Republic Day, held on Sunday.

During his trip, these discussions were held, and the two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the robust and dynamic bilateral ties. According to the joint statement, the two leaders emphasised the significance of maintaining close and active engagement through existing bilateral mechanisms.

Defence Strategy

Under defence, the two leaders that both countries were maritime neighbours and strategic partners and they must continue to deepen their defence cooperation and make it robust. The two countries adopted the "Shared Vision of India-Indonesia on Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific” in 2018. The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the strategic and operational cooperation between the defence forces of both nations. This includes over two decades of continuous biannual India–Indonesia Coordinated Patrols, periodic bilateral Army (Ex Garuda Shakti) and Naval (Ex Samudra Shakti) exercises, as well as regular participation in each other’s multilateral exercises, such as Milan, Komodo, Tarang Shakti, and Super Garuda Shield.

Both the leaders had a mutual appreciation for having co-chaired Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) related activities at ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM+) and maritime security events at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in the previous cycle. Now they have agreed to continue their efforts together for safety of Navigation in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) through existing mechanisms to enable unhindered economic growth of the region. They also agreed to cooperate in Hydrography and Submarine Search and Rescue while looking forward to the next edition of Exercise Samudra Shakti.

They condemned terrorism and agreed to enhance cooperation to combat this threat through bilateral and multilateral initiatives. They called upon all countries to take action against United Nations (UN)-proscribed terrorist organizations and their affiliates. Both leaders stated that the 6th Joint Working Group Meeting on Counter-Terrorism, held in Jakarta on August 23, 2024, was a crucial platform for strengthening bilateral cooperation. They also look forward to the renewal of the MoU on Counter-Terrorism Cooperation.

Largest Trading Partner

Indonesia is one of India’s largest trading partners among ASEAN, the bilateral trade had reached a record high of USD 38.8 billion in April 2022–March 2023. The leaders hoped that the 2nd meeting of the Working Group on Trade and Investment (WGTI), as well as the 4th Biennial Trade Ministers’ Forum (BMTF), be convened to resolve outstanding tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. They agreed on a quick conclusion of the ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) by 2025.

They agreed that the first meeting of the Joint Economic and Financial Dialogue should be convened early to deepen economic engagement. The 3rd CEOs Forum, held during the visit, was acknowledged by the leaders as a constructive step toward enhancing bilateral trade and investment opportunities. Both leaders welcomed the March 2024 MoU on Local Currency Settlement Systems (LCSS) between the Reserve Bank of India and Bank Indonesia and stressed the need for its swift implementation.

Health and Pharmaceuticals

While discussing pharmaceuticals the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening health sector cooperation and welcomed the signing of the MoUs on Health Cooperation and Traditional Medicine Quality Assurance. They noted that these agreements would boost collaboration in healthcare. They also agreed to share best practices on Digital Health initiatives and expand capacity-building programs to train doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in mutually agreed areas.

Climate Change and Disaster Resilience

The two leaders were confident that cooperation in Disaster Management between the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of India and the National Disaster Management Authority of Indonesia (BNPB) would help to exchange knowledge, skills and best practices to help the two nations to prepare for natural disasters, enhance disaster management capabilities and allow for capacity building.

Renewable Energy Goals 

President Subianto and PM Modi expressed their commitment to achieving the renewable energy goals of their respective countries and praised the ongoing efforts in energy transition. Both sides showed interest in joint exploration and mining projects, particularly related to critical minerals such as nickel, bauxite, silica, and tin, focusing on the downstream sectors. Both leaders welcomed BPRL’s continued interest in partnering with Pertamina in the strategic Nunukan Gas Block Project and agreed to support the early execution of the project. Indonesia positively welcomes India’s invitation to join the Global Biofuels Alliance. The two countries discussed the importance of energy security and ensuring affordable and reliable energy supply to the citizens of their respective countries.

Education Skills

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCR chairs have been established in Indonesia at the University of North Sumatra, Medan in Political Science; Siyah Kuala University, Banda Aceh in Economics, and a Sanskrit Chair at University Hindu Negeri I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa, Denpasar. India offers Indonesian students 20 fully funded ICCR scholarships annually. As part of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme, India offers up to 100 slots annually for capacity-building training for Indonesian professionals.

Since 2007, over 1,000 professionals from Indonesia have been trained in India under this programme. India also acknowledged Indonesia’s utilisation of Doctoral Fellowships in India for ASEAN. The two leaders acknowledged the MoUs signed between Nalanda University and Indonesian universities, including the bilateral MoU with the University of Jambi and four MoUs under the ASEAN-India Network of Universities (AINU).

ASEAN Cooperation

President Subianto and PM Modi agreed to enhance efforts to implement the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. They committed to using existing ASEAN-led mechanisms, grounded in trust and shared democratic values, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and adherence to the rule of law and the UN Charter. Indonesia expressed appreciation for India’s support of ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture, ASEAN-led mechanisms, and its ongoing contributions to regional peace, security, prosperity, and the ASEAN integration and community-building process.