What PM Modi’s Indonesia visit means for India’s Indo-Pacific strategy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Indonesia from July 6 to 8 for talks with President Prabowo Subianto, with maritime security, defence cooperation, trade and Indo-Pacific stability expected to dominate the agenda. The visit comes eight years after Modi’s last bilateral trip to Indonesia in May 2018 and is being seen as an important step in strengthening India’s Act East Policy and engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Modi will hold bilateral talks with President Prabowo, address the Indian diaspora in Jakarta and visit the Prambanan Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where India and Indonesia are expected to collaborate on conservation work. He will then travel to Australia and New Zealand as part of a three-nation tour.

Experts say the visit comes amid growing geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific, increasing concerns over maritime security and efforts to build resilient supply chains. Fitriani, senior analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said India and Indonesia “occupy pivotal geographic positions at either end of the Indian Ocean” and share an interest in preserving a “stable, inclusive and rules-based regional order.”

Hadza Min Fadhli Robby, associate professor at the Islamic University of Indonesia, said closer cooperation between New Delhi and Jakarta would help maintain regional stability amid uncertainty in West Asia and the South China Sea. He also highlighted joint military exercises and bilateral consultations as evidence of growing strategic ties.

The two sides are expected to discuss maritime cooperation, defence, trade, economic ties and people-to-people links. Critical minerals are also likely to feature prominently, with Indonesia’s large reserves of nickel and other minerals seen as important for India’s electric vehicle and manufacturing ambitions.

Robby said the long-pending Sabang-Nicobar corridor linking Indonesia’s Sabang Port with India’s Nicobar Islands should be revived, while Fitriani said a potential BrahMos missile deal would strengthen Indonesia’s coastal defence capabilities and mark another major defence export for India.

During a special media briefing, MEA Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon said Indonesia remains a key partner in India’s Act East Policy and plays an important role in ensuring security and stability in the Malacca Straits. He said the visit would build on discussions held during President Prabowo’s visit to India in 2025, with leaders expected to review progress under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and advance cooperation across defence, maritime security, trade, connectivity and cultural ties.