PM Modi's Indonesia Visit to Unveil Major Defence, Digital Push: Envoy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Indonesia is set to mark a significant upgrade in India's strategic partnership with Southeast Asia's largest economy, with major announcements expected across defence, maritime security, digital connectivity, critical minerals and trade, India's Ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, has said in an exclusive interview with NDTV.

Describing bilateral ties as being on a "higher trajectory" following Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's Republic Day visit to New Delhi last year, the envoy indicated that Modi's visit would reinforce a rapidly expanding partnership that is increasingly central to India's Indo-Pacific strategy.

"Relations are on an upward swing and higher trajectory. Prime Minister's visit will reinforce that trend," Chakravorty said, adding that both countries are preparing "understandings and agreements" across five broad sectors - defence and maritime security, trade and investment, food and fertiliser security, energy and critical minerals, and education and health.

The visit comes at a time when India is deepening its engagement with ASEAN amid intensifying geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific and growing concerns over global maritime chokepoints.

Maritime security at the heart of Indo-Pacific partnership

Indonesia's strategic geography makes it indispensable to India's Indo-Pacific vision. Sitting astride the Malacca Strait - through which a substantial portion of global trade passes - Indonesia has become an increasingly important maritime partner for New Delhi.

"Keeping the sea lanes of communication open is very, very critical for both Indonesia and India," the ambassador said.

Drawing parallels with recent disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, Chakravorty stressed that neither country wanted similar vulnerabilities in Southeast Asia.

"No country can have a stranglehold on these choke points," he said, underlining that defence ties have matured beyond military exercises into substantive defence-industrial cooperation.

The ambassador hinted at significant outcomes during the visit without revealing specifics.

"You will find many surprises during Prime Minister's visit... some very, very interesting outcomes," he said.

'BrahMos Plus' signals next phase of defence cooperation

Among the biggest takeaways from the interview was the envoy's indication that India and Indonesia are preparing to move beyond discussions centred solely on the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

Asked whether the next phase of the BrahMos partnership could feature during Modi's visit, Chakravorty replied with a smile: "It will be BrahMos Plus."

While declining to elaborate further, he suggested defence cooperation would increasingly focus on industrial partnerships, technology integration, training and capacity building.

"India has become a significant exporter of defence items," he said. "That lesson is very relevant for Indonesia."

Indonesia is seeking greater domestic manufacturing capability by partnering with friendly nations, and India, the ambassador said, "can be a very valuable partner" in developing defence equipment inside Indonesia itself.

Military cooperation is already expanding beyond bilateral engagements. India will, for the first time, participate with troops in the multinational Garuda Shield military exercise after previously sending observers, highlighting growing interoperability between the two armed forces.

Digital diplomacy emerges as new frontier

Beyond defence, one of the most consequential announcements expected during the visit could come in the digital economy.

Chakravorty revealed that Indonesia's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)-inspired platform is "all set for launch" during the Prime Minister's visit, making Indonesia the fastest international adopter of India's digital public infrastructure model.

The initiative is expected to dramatically benefit Indonesia's nearly 65 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

"India was the first to launch an open network. Indonesia will be the fastest adopter," he said.

The ambassador described the open digital commerce architecture as a "major disruptor" that lowers costs and entry barriers for smaller businesses by reducing dependence on expensive platform-based ecosystems.

He added that several ASEAN countries have already approached India after observing Indonesia's adoption of the model.

UPI integration nearing completion

India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) may also soon become operational in Indonesia.

According to Chakravorty, negotiations are at an advanced stage despite technical complexities arising from Indonesia's multiple payment-switch architecture.

"UPI integration talks are at an advanced stage and we are very hopeful it will be concluded soon," he said.

Unlike India's single payment switch, Indonesia operates several payment systems, requiring simultaneous technological integration with each network.

The Prime Minister's visit, the envoy said, is expected to provide fresh momentum to conclude the long-awaited financial connectivity project.

Critical minerals partnership gains strategic importance

Another major pillar of the visit will be securing resilient supply chains for critical minerals, increasingly seen as vital for electric vehicles, batteries and clean-energy technologies.

Indonesia possesses some of the world's largest reserves of nickel and several strategic minerals, while India's manufacturing ambitions require reliable long-term supplies.

Rather than merely importing raw materials, India is preparing to invest directly in Indonesia's value-addition ecosystem.

"India has decided to invest in Indonesia to process them and then use it for the Indian market and the global market," Chakravorty revealed.

He described the emerging model as one that supports both India's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and Indonesia's own industrial self-reliance.

Civilisational ties to complement strategic partnership

The visit will also highlight centuries-old cultural links.

India and Indonesia will launch a 15-month celebration marking the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore's 1927 visit to Indonesia, recognising the Nobel laureate's influence on Indonesian education, culture and architecture.

The Prime Minister is also expected to visit Yogyakarta, Indonesia's historic temple city, underscoring the civilisational connections that continue to underpin one of India's most strategically important partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.

With defence cooperation expanding, digital public infrastructure going global and supply-chain resilience emerging as a shared priority, Modi's visit appears poised to redefine India-Indonesia ties far beyond traditional diplomacy - placing Jakarta firmly at the centre of New Delhi's Indo-Pacific calculus.