‘India supporting Indonesia defence industrialisation’

President Sukarno was India’s first Republic Day guest, and now, President Subianto will be the guest for the 76th Republic Day.
‘India supporting Indonesia defence industrialisation’
Updated on
3 min read

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakravorty talks to Jayanth Jacob about the forthcoming visit of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as Chief Guest for India’s 76th Republic Day. He reflects on the significance of the bilateral relationship between India and Indonesia. Excerpts:

President Sukarno was India’s first Republic Day guest, and now, President Subianto will be the guest for the 76th Republic Day. What does it say about our long-standing bilateral ties?

President Sukarno was the chief guest at the first Republic Day. That was significant because India, along with the US, played a big role in Indonesia’s independence. There were good ties with President Sukarno, Vice-President Mohammad Hatta, and PM Sutan Sjahrir. There was a special Asian Relations Conference, and then the role played by Biju Patnaik (he flew Sjahrir and Hatta out of Java so they could broadcast Indonesia’s plight to the rest of the world). Those were the heydays of our relationship.

Now, as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our bilateral relationship, President Prabowo Subianto is our chief guest. Adding to the historical importance is that Indonesia is for the first time sending a marching contingent — 352 soldiers will march down Rajpath.

Indonesia is an archipelagic nation comprising more than 17,000 islands located between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Geography makes it a ‘maritime fulcrum’. How important is Indonesia for India’s maritime strategy?

Indonesia is an Indo-Pacific country, which extends over three time zones. It straddles the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea, essential sea lanes. Maritime fulcrum is a concept developed by the previous president, Joko Widodo, who wanted to create the ports to make Indonesia a hub. Other countries like Singapore and Malaysia are becoming the hubs of international trade. The concept is to attract global trade and port traffic to Indonesia. Still, some way has to be covered. The idea is active.

Defence ties between the two nations has been on the uptick. Will the visit see any big-ticket announcement like the Brahmos deal?

We are trying to support Indonesia’s defence industrialisation. There are also discussions on some defence equipment. There is a lot of interest in India’s newly acquired defence and industrial capabilities. That talk began in the last few years, it will take time to mature.

How do you visualise the growing India-Indonesia business ties and people-to-people contact?

We have a historical diaspora and influential expatriate population in Indonesia. They are creating wealth and employment for Indonesians. We also have investments of about $1.6 billion in the last 20-25 years. There are around 100 Indian-headquartered companies in Indonesia. They produce there and generate income for their companies. They have a policy of downstreaming and they want Indian firms to manufacture in Indonesia for the global market, and many Indian companies have been successful in doing that. Some examples are Godrej, TVS and Wipro.

Another element is connectivity. We have almost exhausted the existing quota of flights per week between India and Indonesia. We are entering into new talks to enhance that. About 7 lakh Indian tourists visit Indonesia.

How vital is Indonesia for ASEAN’s centrality? And India-ASEAN ties?

Indonesia is our largest trading partner in ASEAN. Indonesia is 40% of ASEAN territory, 40% of ASEAN market, and 40% of its population. So, if we believe in the ASEAN centrality, Indonesian centrality is also present in the ASEAN. So, I think if we have to increase our ties with ASEAN more than what we have at present. I think Indonesia plays a significant role in that.

There is a trilateral consultative forum involving India, Indonesia and Australia. Can this help India and Australia collectively enhance Indonesia’s Indo-Pacific maritime capabilities?

Indonesia has a very free and active foreign policy. It is averse to entering into block and strategic alliances. We have to view the whole issue from that perspective. There is a nascent India, Indonesia and Australia trilateral framework. We are trying to give more body and substance to it. There’s still some ground to cover. But India, Indonesia and Australia are interested in doing more.

Related Stories

No stories found.

X
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com