India-Indonesia to conclude several MoUs & announcements during Presidential trip this week

Several MoUs and announcements are expected during Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s visit this week to attend the 76th Republic Day parade as Chief Guest.

Entire gamut of bilateral cooperation including political, defence and security cooperation, trade and investment, healthcare, digital technologies, energy, culture, connectivity, tourism and people-to-people relations will be reviewed.

The 3rd CEO Forum will be held on the sidelines. This will be the first visit of President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto to India as Head of State. President Prabowo will also be the Chief Guest for India’s 76th Republic Day.

Sukarno, the first President of Indonesia, was the Chief Guest at India’s first Republic Day in 1950.

President Prabowo will be the fourth Indonesian President to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations.

A 352-member marching and band contingent from Indonesia will be participating in India’s Republic Day Parade. This will be the first time that an Indonesian marching and band contingent will participate in a national day parade abroad.

Prime Minister Modi paid an Official Visit to Indonesia in 2018. During the visit, India-Indonesia bilateral ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was also adopted.

Modi met President Prabowo Subianto on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 19 November 2024. This was the first meeting between the two leaders.

India and Indonesia are close maritime neighbours with cultural and trade ties spanning over a millennia. The annual Bali Yatra festival which commemorates the historic voyages by Indian seafarers who would set sail to Bali, is one such example of these cultural linkages. Indonesia is an important pillar in India’s Act East Policy. There are regular high-level interactions including convening of bilateral mechanisms like Joint Commission Meetings and Foreign Office Consultations.

Indonesia is one of India’s largest trading partners in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade in 2023-24 reached US$ 29.40 billion. Indian investments in Indonesia amounts to USD 1.56 billion in infrastructure, power, textiles, steel, automotive, mining, banking and consumer goods sectors.

The Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in 2018 has further strengthened defence ties. Regular conduct of Air Force to Air Force Staff Talks, Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks and Army-to-Army Staff Talks. Regular conduct of Bilateral Army Exercise Garuda Shakti and Joint Naval Exercise Samudra Shakti. Regular conduct of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT). India’s participation in Multilateral Naval Exercise KOMODO. Indonesia’s participation in Exercise MILAN.

India and Indonesia share robust and active space cooperation dating back to 1997. Two Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TTC) ground stations set up by ISRO at Biak, Papua support Indian satellite and launch vehicle missions.

Apollo Hospital is working with Indonesian Mayapada Hospital group for building a green hospital in new capital Ibu Kota Nusantara(IKN) for clinical collaboration, providing capacity building, technical training, hospital management services and for collaboration to make affordable and quality healthcare available to Indonesians. Exports of pharmaceuticals and medical devices to Indonesia has risen from US$ 167.01 mn in 2020-21 to US$ 230.41 mn in 2023-24.

Indonesia is a major recipient of ITEC & TCS of Colombo Plan scholarships. ICCR offers around 20 scholarships every year to Indonesian students for pursuing higher studies in India. ITEC offers around 100 slots to Indonesia every year.

Direct flight connectivity between India and Indonesia commenced in August 2023. Routes include Mumbai-Jakarta, Delhi- Bali and Bangalore-Bali sectors. India has emerged as the second largest source of tourists (more than 600,000) to Bali in 2023-24.

Approximately 150,000 Persons of Indian Origin whose ancestors had migrated to Indonesia in the 19th & 20th centuries. There are around 14,000 Indian Nationals (NRI) living in Indonesia including entrepreneurs, engineers, chartered accountants, IT professionals, consultants, bankers, and other professions.