India emerges as preferred election management partner as Indonesia eyes EVMs

India is strengthening its role as a global partner in election management, with New Delhi and Jakarta set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) covering election technology, institutional cooperation and the possible export of customised Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), official sources said on Tuesday.

The proposed agreement comes as Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy with a population of nearly 288 million, looks to India for expertise in election management, technology and institutional capacity to modernise its electoral processes.

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"When democracies around the world look for trusted election expertise, India is becoming their first choice," an official said, referring to Indonesia's interest in acquiring India's EVMs.

According to officials, the MoU will facilitate cooperation in areas including election technology, human resource development, capacity building and the exchange of best practices between the election authorities of the two countries.

The collaboration follows a series of exchanges between Indian and Indonesian officials, during which delegates studied India's EVM design, election supervision systems, voter awareness programmes and digital governance tools.

Officials said India's experience now extends beyond conducting large-scale elections to supporting democratic institutions globally through technical assistance and knowledge sharing.

India's EVMs have gained international recognition for their reliability, security and ability to efficiently manage elections involving millions of voters.

Bhutan was the first country to adopt customised Indian EVMs with technical support from India. Nepal has also received customised machines for pilot use along with institutional assistance.

Namibia became the first country to commercially deploy Indian-made EVMs in national elections and later adopted Indian-made Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units.

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Beyond voting technology, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has supplied indelible ink for elections in several countries, including Madagascar, Myanmar, Cambodia, Fiji, Bhutan, Sierra Leone and Mongolia.

The ECI has signed cooperation agreements with election management bodies in 28 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Chile, Fiji, Mexico and South Africa, as well as three international organisations.

Officials said India's experience in conducting the world's largest elections is increasingly being recognised internationally as more countries seek technology-driven and scalable election management systems.

"From sharing EVMs to sharing expertise, India is not just exporting technology, it is helping strengthen democratic processes across the world," the officials said.