India-Indonesia sign BrahMos missile deal, maritime security pact on Modi's visit
Synopsis
India has clinched one of its biggest defence export deals yet — BrahMos missiles for Indonesia — alongside Astra air-to-air missiles, a maritime security framework, and an EVM technology transfer, all in a single state visit. The breadth of agreements signals that the India-Indonesia partnership has moved well beyond diplomatic formality into hard strategic alignment.
Key Takeaways
India and Indonesia signed a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile supply agreement on 7 July in Jakarta .
Indonesia will also import DRDO's Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles.
A framework for maritime safety and security cooperation was finalised between the two nations.
Agreements were signed on minerals and steel supply chain technologies ; India is expected to support Indonesia-specific EVMs .
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto conferred the 'Bintang Adipurna' — Indonesia's highest honour, instituted in 1959 — upon PM Modi .
The visit is the first leg of PM Modi's three-nation tour .
India and Indonesia on Tuesday, 7 July signed a landmark agreement for the supply of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Indonesian military, marking a significant milestone for India's defence export programme during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Jakarta — the first leg of his three-nation tour.
Key Defence Agreements
Beyond the BrahMos deal, Indonesia is also set to import India's indigenously developed Astra air-to-air missiles. The Astra, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is a beyond-visual-range missile engineered to track and neutralise highly manoeuvrable enemy aircraft. India is additionally expected to supply Indonesia with further batteries of the BrahMos system, deepening the bilateral defence partnership.
Maritime Security and Broader Cooperation
The two nations also finalised a framework for maritime safety and security cooperation — a strategically significant step given Indonesia's position as the world's largest archipelagic state and India's expanding Indo-Pacific interests. Agreements were also inked on minerals and technologies for steel supply chains, aimed at reinforcing critical mineral linkages between the two economies.
Notably, India is expected to support the development of Indonesia-specific Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), extending its proven poll-technology expertise to the Southeast Asian nation — an unusual but telling dimension of the partnership's breadth.
What PM Modi Said
'The growing trust between our countries is strengthening our defence, security, and maritime cooperation. Today, we have reached an agreement to enhance defence exchanges, disaster management, and industrial cooperation,' said PM Modi at the signing ceremony.
Modi also highlighted the pharmaceutical dimension of the partnership: 'With today's agreement, India's high-quality and affordable medicines will be even more easily accessible to the citizens of Indonesia. We will also contribute to the capacity building of doctors and healthcare workers in Indonesia.'
Indonesia's Highest Honour for Modi
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto conferred the country's highest honour — the 'Bintang Adipurna of the Republic of Indonesia' — upon PM Modi. Instituted in 1959, the award is the highest civilian and military medal of honour bestowed by Indonesia, recognising extraordinary service. The recognition adds to a growing list of top national honours that Modi has received from countries across the globe.
Strategic Significance
The BrahMos agreement is among the most consequential defence export deals India has concluded in recent years, following an earlier sale to the Philippines in 2022. This comes amid India's broader push to position itself as a credible arms exporter under the 'Make in India' defence initiative, with a target of ₹50,000 crore in defence exports. Indonesia's acquisition signals growing confidence in Indian defence manufacturing across the Indo-Pacific region. All eyes will now be on the remaining legs of Modi's three-nation tour and whether further defence export agreements follow.
Point of View
Which changes the calculus for any power projecting force through the Malacca Strait. What mainstream coverage underplays is the Astra addition: selling a DRDO-developed beyond-visual-range missile abroad for the first time would validate India's indigenous defence R&D in a way that no domestic deployment can. The EVM cooperation angle is equally underreported — it positions India as a democracy-technology exporter, a soft-power dimension that outlasts any single arms deal. The real question is whether India's defence production ecosystem can scale fast enough to honour these commitments without compromising its own force modernisation timelines.
NationPress
7 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BrahMos missile deal between India and Indonesia?
India and Indonesia signed an agreement on 7 July for the supply of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Indonesian military during PM Modi's state visit to Jakarta. Indonesia is also expected to receive additional BrahMos batteries under the arrangement.
What is the Astra missile that Indonesia will import from India?
The Astra is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), designed to track and destroy highly manoeuvrable enemy aircraft. Its export to Indonesia would mark a significant milestone for India's indigenous defence manufacturing programme.
What other agreements did India and Indonesia sign during Modi's visit?
Beyond defence, the two countries signed agreements on maritime safety and security cooperation, minerals and technologies for steel supply chains, pharmaceutical access, healthcare capacity building, and support for Indonesia-specific Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
What honour did Indonesia confer on PM Modi?
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto awarded PM Modi the 'Bintang Adipurna of the Republic of Indonesia,' the country's highest civilian and military honour, instituted in 1959 and recognising extraordinary service.
Why is the India-Indonesia defence deal strategically significant?
The deal follows India's earlier BrahMos sale to the Philippines in 2022 and is part of India's push to become a major defence exporter under the 'Make in India' initiative. Indonesia's acquisition signals growing Indo-Pacific confidence in Indian defence systems and deepens bilateral strategic ties in a region of growing geopolitical competition.
