A light-hearted line from Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto turned into a strategic headline as he publicly thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for policies he has been ‘copying’ in Indonesia, joking he was glad there was no copyright. The quip, delivered at a Jakarta banquet, framed a day of deepening India-Indonesia ties across economy, security, and education.
The Indonesian leader said he had followed Mr Modi’s career and borrowed initiatives that worked in India to tackle similar issues at home. ‘I copy many of your programmes,’ he told Mr Modi, adding that results in India for ‘hundreds of millions of people’ offered a template Indonesia could use.
Strategic signal behind the joke
Beneath the humour was a clear message: governance models that lift outcomes at scale are now a competitive export. Mr Subianto cited shared realities, including a big population, agricultural dependence, and exposure to natural disasters, to argue that India’s approach was translatable.
His admission also pointed to soft power in policy. When a neighbour imports your playbook, it reinforces influence beyond trade or defence. Mr Subianto said such programmes were already proving successful for Indonesia, calling the borrowing both open and pragmatic.
Education and health ties expand
New education partnerships took centre stage. Mr Modi announced an overseas campus of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore in Indonesia. The IIM Bangalore campus will be set up at the Singhasari Special Economic Zone in Indonesia’s East Java province.
This builds on India’s growing education footprint. IIM Ahmedabad was the first premier Indian business school to open a campus outside India, with its Dubai campus launched last year. Discussions also included plans to open Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Management campuses in Indonesia.
Health regulation cooperation was formalised. India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and Indonesia’s National Agency of Drug and Food Control signed a memorandum of understanding. The agreement enables knowledge exchange on global regulatory standards and enhances market access for Indian medical products in Indonesia.
Key announcements that shape the partnership were highlighted as follows:
– IIM Bangalore to open an overseas campus in East Java
– Health regulators agreed on medical products cooperation
– Plans for IIT and IIM campuses in Indonesia
– Collaboration to link cross-border QR payment systems
Security and economic coordination
The day also featured moves designed to harden security and diversify supply chains. India and Indonesia signed agreements in defence, critical minerals and maritime security cooperation, part of nearly a dozen pacts unveiled during the visit.
A Memorandum of Understanding on BrahMos-Astra missiles was among the defence highlights. The two countries additionally signed agreements covering space, disaster management, agriculture and maritime cooperation, and agreed to work towards linking their cross-border QR payment systems.
Cultural and heritage collaboration deepened alongside technology ties. The countries will work together on preserving the UNESCO-listed Prambanan Temple Complex. Mr Modi said, ‘We have signed an agreement to deepen collaboration in tech, AI, and startup businesses,’ adding, ‘We will be opening a campus of Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B) in Indonesia.’
Practical learning on the ground
Mr Subianto revealed that Indonesian officials had recently spent weeks in India studying techniques to turn dry land into productive farmland. He said a team had just returned from ‘two or three weeks’ reviewing efforts to make arid land arable again, describing it as permaculture and emphasising that Indonesia was not afraid of learning.
The remark reinforced the hands-on nature of the partnership. Instead of one-off announcements, the focus is on replicable methods that can be adapted to Indonesia’s geography and needs.
Honours, tour, and what to watch
On a day of symbolism, President Subianto conferred Indonesia’s highest civilian honour, the Bintang Adipurna, on Mr Modi. Accepting it, Mr Modi said, ‘The respect shown through this medal is for every Indian, and I would like to thank Indonesia on their behalf.’
Mr Modi is on a three-day visit to Indonesia as part of a broader three-nation tour that will also cover Australia and New Zealand. It is his first bilateral trip to the country since India and Indonesia elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018.
What comes next is execution. Agreements across defence, minerals, education, and regulation are structured to deliver medium-term gains. The candid ‘no copyright’ moment captured the tone: outcomes first, and a willingness to import what works.
