Jakarta

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in Jakarta, India's Ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, said that PM Modi's three-day visit (July 6-8) to Indonesia will deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, expand cooperation across key sectors, and send a strong message of collaboration amid geopolitical uncertainity.

Speaking to ANI, Chakravorty said that India and Indonesia share historically strong and friendly ties, and PM Modi's fourth visit to Indonesia will further strengthen bilateral relations.

He said, "India and Indonesia are comprehensive strategic partners. This is Prime Minister Modi's fourth visit to Indonesia since he came to power. Our ties have been historically very strong, very cordial and friendly. Prime Minister Modi's visit will further intensify those ties and build cooperation in many areas and open up new areas of cooperation, whether it is in manufacturing, science and technology, space, nuclear, or even educational exchanges."

"It is a multifaceted relationship, and I think in the current geopolitical context where there is so much turmoil in the world, India and Indonesia working together, I think, gives a strong message to the world," he added.

The ambassador said that several agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, covering sectors including health, agriculture, food security, science, technology, space, pharmaceuticals, education, manufacturing and critical minerals.

He said, "There will be agreements in the health sector, in agriculture, in food security, in science and technology, space, pharmaceuticals, education, in manufacturing, in critical minerals. So there are many, and I think Prime Minister Modi's visit will open up new chapters of cooperation. It will give a boost to what is happening already."

"The base with Indonesia is strong, and his presence here will give a further boost to whatever is happening, not only at the governmental level but also at the business-to-business level, at the people-to-people level, and I am very, very confident that you will see a greater intensification of our ties after the visit," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday departed for a six-day visit (July 6-11) to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, stating that the high-level engagement would reinforce India's Act East Policy, advance its "MAHASAGAR" vision and deepen the country's commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

The Prime Minister will commence the first leg of his visit to Indonesia from July 6 to 8 at the invitation of President Prabowo Subianto. This high-profile engagement signifies the Prime Minister's fourth visit to the maritime neighbour and stands as the inaugural bilateral visit since the relationship was formally elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in May 2018.

Recalling that the two democracies elevated their ties during his 2018 visit, the Prime Minister observed that this marks his first bilateral visit since then, following President Prabowo's high-profile visit to India as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations in January 2025.

During his schedule, he will interact with the Indian diaspora and accompany President Prabowo on a visit to the Prambanan Temple Complex in Yogyakarta, describing the UNESCO-listed site as a symbol of the deep cultural links between the two nations.

This visit to Indonesia marks a pivotal milestone in reinforcing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations, with advancing defence and maritime cooperation serving as a cornerstone of the bilateral agenda. Strategic security ties have achieved robust momentum, characterised by an expanding scope of high-level visits, regular bilateral and multilateral exercises, and deeper defence industry cooperation, which includes the significant sale of BrahMos missiles.

As immediate maritime neighbours, both democracies previously adopted the Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in 2018. To provide further impetus to collective maritime domain awareness, an Indonesian Liaison Officer is being stationed at the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in India.

Furthermore, New Delhi will earmark dedicated training slots for Indonesian cadets and officers at the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) to bolster long-term defence capacity building.

Economic collaboration remains positioned to drive growth through expanded trade and mutual investments. Strong institutional synergies have emerged between the respective long-term developmental visions of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Emas (Golden) Indonesia 2045.

Indonesia has established itself as India's second-largest trading partner within the ASEAN region, with bilateral trade reaching USD 24.78 billion during the 2025-26 fiscal year. Currently, more than 130 Indian enterprises maintain active investments across diverse sectors of the Indonesian economy.

Addressing regional food stability, the two allies are building resilient food security cooperation. India has actively extended support to Indonesia's primary food security priorities, notably through the critical supply of 100 tonnes of high-quality "DWR 162" wheat seeds. This forms part of a broader, sustained engagement aimed at developing resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.

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Critical mineral cooperation is also set to take centre stage during the bilateral talks. Indonesia dominates the global critical minerals sector, commanding roughly 21 per cent of the world's nickel reserves and ranking prominently among the top global producers of copper, bauxite and tin.