The inaugural “India-Indonesia Defence Industry Exhibition-cum-Seminar,” held in Jakarta on April 30, 2024, organised by the Embassy of India, Ministry of Defence, and Ministry of Defense, Indonesia, stands as a landmark event in the bilateral defence cooperation.
Taking place amidst the 75th year of diplomatic ties between these maritime neighbours, the exhibition had representatives of 36 Indian defence companies, including 12 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and 24 private enterprises, alongside counterparts from Indonesia.
Military Cooperation
Next month the 42nd India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) is scheduled to take place. And towards the end of the year military Exercise “Garuda Shakti” and Navy Exercise “Samudra Shakti” are scheduled to take place which will help in further strengthening the institutional bilateral mechanisms between both countries.
Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, in his opening address in Jakarta, stressed India’s pivotal role in fortifying national security and self-reliance, highlighting initiatives such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX).
“This initiative has established a platform for enabling co-creation and co-development by encouraging participation from innovators, startups and MSMEs. The iDEX startups bolstered by the assurance of procurement are today providing products and solutions at a fraction of cost and time. The products being developed by the iDEX winners are as good and, in some cases, even better than the best in the category,” Ambassador Chakravorty said.
In his address India’s envoy stated that the inclusion of start-ups and young minds has also galvanized the R&D culture in the Indian Defence Industry, with increased spending on R&D, resulting in filing of thousands of patents by the defence enterprises in the last few years.
According to him this strategic collaboration, reinforced by participation from innovators, startups, and MSMEs, epitomizes a paradigm shift in defence innovation, nurturing a robust ecosystem bridging military requirements and entrepreneurial ingenuity.
With major Indian entities like BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd., Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Electronics; BDL; Yantra India Ltd., Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd., Zen Technologies; MKU Pvt Ltd; Godrej Precision Engineering; Munitions India Ltd., Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) among others were present and displayed cutting-edge technologies.
The event underscored a shared commitment to fostering partnerships within the Indian and Indonesian defence ecosystems.
In his address, T Natarajan, Director General (Defence Production), shed light on the achievements of the Indian defence sector in recent years. He also talked about the defence exports value rising from US$ 560 million in 2017 to achieving record exports of US$ 2.63 billion in 2023. And highlighted that India is set to become one of the leading defence exporters by 2030.
Representing his Ministry of Defence, Major General Piek Budyakto, Director General (Defense Potential) praised the ever-growing ties between India-Indonesia defence relations and strong bond shared between both countries in defence and security domain.
Background
India-Indonesia ties were elevated to “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Asean nation in 2018. The two countries also agreed on the “Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific” and they both share a similar vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region which respects ASEAN centrality.
Against the backdrop of burgeoning defence exports and the upcoming 42nd India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol, this exhibition heralds a new chapter in bilateral relations, fortifying regional stability and propelling the Indo-Pacific towards a secure and inclusive future.