Strengthening Bilateral Relations with Fresh Initiatives

India and Indonesia Ink Five Key MoUs to Deepen Bilateral Partnership : In January 2025, India and Indonesia formalized five major Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) during the state visit of President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia, who also graced India’s 76th Republic Day as the Chief Guest. These agreements mark a renewed commitment to building closer ties across a range of priority sectors including public health, maritime operations, traditional medicine, digital collaboration, and cultural exchanges.

Areas of Cooperation Covered by the MoUs

• The first agreement emphasizes collaboration in the health sector, particularly in medical research, public health systems, and communicable disease management—an increasingly important domain amid global health challenges.
• The second MoU reinforces maritime collaboration between the Indian Coast Guard and Indonesia’s BAKAMLA (Maritime Security Agency), focusing on joint efforts in maritime safety, rescue missions, and overall security in the Indo-Pacific region, which is a strategic interest for both countries.
• A third agreement between the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homeopathy and Indonesia’s Food and Drug Authority aims to ensure quality assurance in traditional medicinal systems, strengthening standards for herbal and alternative treatments valued in both nations.
• The fourth MoU focuses on digital cooperation, with emphasis on building cybersecurity capabilities, digital infrastructure, and promoting tech start-up ecosystems in both countries, aligned with India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
• The fifth pact formalizes a Cultural Exchange Programme (2025–2028) designed to encourage people-to-people engagement, including art exhibitions, cultural performances, and educational partnerships between institutions in India and Indonesia.

Shared Historical and Civilizational Legacy

India and Indonesia enjoy a relationship rooted in over 2,000 years of cultural and maritime exchanges, shaped by the spread of Hinduism, Buddhism, and trade along ancient sea routes. These historical links have now evolved into a modern strategic partnership, further strengthened through these latest agreements.

Economic Engagement: The 3rd CEO Forum

Coinciding with the MoU signings, the third India-Indonesia CEO Forum was held on January 25, 2025, in New Delhi. The forum was led by Ajay Shriram (India) and Anindya Bakrie (Indonesia), and brought together top business leaders from both nations. The focus areas included agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, and digital technology. Business representatives discussed easing investment hurdles and improving the ease of doing business across borders to boost mutual trade.

Looking Ahead: Regional Cooperation and Strategic Growth

These developments indicate a clear shift towards deeper economic and strategic alignment between India and Indonesia. Both countries are seen as pivotal players in the Indo-Pacific framework and this growing cooperation fits well within India’s broader Act East Policy. The MoUs are expected to bring measurable benefits in terms of regional stability, trade, innovation, and cultural diplomacy.

Static GK Snapshot

India and Indonesia Ink Five Key MoUs to Deepen Bilateral Partnership :