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    OPINION                                                            FEBRUARY 06, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 10

                         India-Indonesia Gotong

                                  Royong, Persevering

             Geopolitical Storms Together

            With India and Indonesia marching ahead firmly on their economic transformation journey led by our common visions
               of Developed India 2047 & Indonesia Emas 2045, we as Comprehensive Strategic Partners are not only deepening

                    existing bilateral ties, but also exploring new frontiers of cooperation in space, defence and critical minerals

                                                                                                                  peting ideologies. It is without doubt
                                                                                                                  that if India and Indonesia do more
                                                                                                                  with each other, our dependencies
                                                                                                                  on others would reduce preserving
                                                                                                                  our sovereignties and strategic au-
                                                                                                                  tonomies.
                                                                                                                      Despite the challenges both
                                                                                                                  countries face due to adverse global
                                                                                                                  economic conditions including wea-
                                                                                                                  ponisation of tariffs and investment
                                                                                                                  wariness, both countries have under-
                                                                                                                  stood the importance of domestic
                  SANDEEP CHAKRAVORTY                                                                             reforms and perseverance. Going
                                                                                                                  ahead both countries have taken ini-
                  xactly one year back Presi-                                                                     tiatives to increase the share of man-
                  dent Prabowo was the Chief                                                                      ufacturing in their respective GDPs.
            EGuest at India’s Republic Day                                                                        In the context of Indonesia, the most
            Parade  at the invitation of  Prime                                                                   remarkable and courageous reform
            Minister Modi.  Marching down the                                                                     measure, which will have far-reach-
            majestic Kartavya Path, Delhi’s most                                                                  ing outcomes, is the establishment of
            magnificent  promenade  was  a  352                                                                   Danantara.  Another bold initiative
            strong Indonesian marching & band                                                                     has been the Free Nutritious Meals
            contingent. It was the first time that                                                                Scheme, the impact of which is both
            an  Indonesian  contingent  had  par-                                                                 transformational and generational;
            ticipated in a national day parade                                                                    and already visible. The Merah-Pu-
            abroad. That it was to commemorate                                                                    tih Cooperatives when fully opera-
            the culmination of the celebrations                                                                   tional will be the hubs for growth in
            of 75 years of establishment of diplo-                                                                the rural economy. Since President
            matic relations and President Sukar-                                                                  Prabowo  assumed  office,  in  a  short
            no being the Chief Guest at India’s                                                                   time of about a year, Indonesia has
            first Republic Day, seventy-five years                                                                made strides in food self-sufficiency
            ago, made the occasion symbolic and                                                                   and perennial rice imports have now
            poignant. In January 2025, Indonesia                                                                  become a thing of the past.  Indone-
            also joined BRICS, adding yet anoth-  Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrive to attend   sia  has  also  finalised  several  FTAs
            er layer to our ties. India holds the   the ‘At Home’ reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan on the occasion of the 76th Republic Day, in   and has seen merit in dismantling
            BRICS Chair in 2026 and is looking                                                                    artificial  barriers  to  trade.  India  is
            forward to warmly receive President                   New Delhi (ANI Photo/Jitender Gupta)            delighted to partner with Indonesia
            Prabowo for the BRICS Summit lat-                                                                     in several of the Asta Cita initiatives
            er this year on the theme of Building   ed.  Decisions and actions  taken  by  As  non-block,  non-allied  countries,   of the government including in food
            for Resilience, Innovation, Coopera-  India  and  Indonesia,  the  largest  with firm belief in multi-polarity, In-  security and digitalisation.
            tion and Sustainability.          and the fourth largest countries of  dia-Indonesia partnership is not only   On the other side of the shared
                As a year has passed since the   the world, hold importance and im-  designed for greater bilateral benefit   Indian Ocean that has acted as a
            momentous visit, it is time to take   pact for the world, particularly for  and dovetails well with either coun-  bridge between our two civilisations
            stock of our ties and spell out the   the Global South, in times of acute  try’s foreign policy approaches, but is   for ages, the Indian growth story is
            outcomes and roadmap that the     geopolitical  contestations and  up-  also balancing force for global good,   not only intact but gaining steam.  It
            leaders of the two nations had chart-  ending of the international order.  in a world being pulled apart by com-  Continued on next page... >>

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