Modi receives Indonesia's highest honour; Prabowo vows to copy India's growth model
Synopsis
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto did not just welcome PM Modi — he openly declared he copies India's programmes and 'doesn't mind admitting it.' The candid praise at a Jakarta banquet, backed by desk-thumping applause and laughter, came hours after Modi received Indonesia's highest state honour, the Bintang Adipurna — a rare double signal of how India's development model is being viewed in Southeast Asia.
Key Takeaways
PM Narendra Modi received the 'Bintang Adipurna' — Indonesia's highest civilian and military honour, instituted in 1959 — during his state visit to Jakarta on 7 July .
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto publicly said he follows Modi's career and copies India's programmes, drawing applause and laughter from dignitaries at the banquet lunch.
Prabowo stated that both nations face similar challenges and need 'strong leadership' to address them.
Modi received an unprecedented ceremonial welcome at Merdeka Palace , with schoolchildren lining the route holding both nations' flags.
The visit signals deepening India-Indonesia strategic ties, with cooperation in digital infrastructure, defence, and food security reportedly on the agenda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Indonesia's highest state honour and shared a warm, laughter-filled exchange with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during a banquet lunch in Jakarta on Tuesday, 7 July, as the two leaders deepened bilateral ties on the sidelines of Modi's state visit. The visit included an unprecedented ceremonial welcome at Merdeka Palace and bilateral talks between the two nations.
Prabowo's Candid Praise Draws Cheers
The highlight of the banquet was President Prabowo Subianto's candid acknowledgement of India's development model. 'I follow your career and copy many of your programmes. And I don't mind admitting it,' he said, drawing smiles and desk-thumping applause from dignitaries on both sides. He added that Indonesia and India faced a similar set of challenges and required 'strong leadership' to overcome them.
Prabowo then quipped, 'I'm happy there is no copyright in following this progress,' prompting a burst of laughter from the room — including from Prime Minister Modi himself. The remarks were widely read as a direct endorsement of India's rising growth trajectory over the past few decades.
Bintang Adipurna: India's PM Receives Indonesia's Top Honour
Earlier in the day, President Prabowo conferred the 'Bintang Adipurna' — Indonesia's highest civilian and military medal of honour — on Prime Minister Modi. The decoration, instituted in 1959, is awarded by the Southeast Asian nation to recognise extraordinary service. Modi joins a select group of global leaders to have received this distinction.
Ceremonial Welcome at Merdeka Palace
Before the bilateral talks, Prime Minister Modi was accorded an unprecedented ceremonial welcome as he arrived at Merdeka Palace, the Presidential Palace of Indonesia. Schoolchildren lined the route, holding the national flags of both India and Indonesia, in a display that officials described as reflecting the warmth between the two nations. President Prabowo personally welcomed Modi with a hug, after which both nations' anthems were played.
Significance of the Visit
The visit underscores the growing strategic and economic convergence between the world's two largest democracies by population. This comes amid India's expanding engagement with ASEAN nations, with Indonesia — the bloc's largest economy — occupying a central role. Notably, Prabowo's explicit willingness to model Indonesian programmes on Indian initiatives signals a shift in the region's perception of India as a development benchmark rather than merely a diplomatic partner.
The two leaders are expected to build on the outcomes of this visit in the coming months, with sectoral cooperation in digital infrastructure, defence, and food security reportedly on the agenda.
Point of View
Having the leader of Southeast Asia's largest economy publicly benchmark his governance against Modi's is worth more than any joint communiqué. What mainstream coverage may underplay is the structural signal: Indonesia, a G20 economy of 280 million people, is not just warming to India diplomatically but is actively looking to replicate its welfare and digital infrastructure models. That is a meaningful shift in regional soft power. The Bintang Adipurna, reserved for extraordinary service, adds a ceremonial layer that reinforces the same narrative — India is no longer merely a South Asian pivot but an aspirational model for the Global South.
NationPress
7 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bintang Adipurna awarded to PM Modi?
The Bintang Adipurna is Indonesia's highest civilian and military medal of honour, instituted in 1959, awarded to recognise extraordinary service to the nation. PM Modi received the decoration from Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during his state visit to Jakarta on 7 July.
What did Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto say about India at the banquet?
President Prabowo said he follows PM Modi's career and copies many of India's programmes, adding he does not mind admitting it. He also quipped that he was glad there was no copyright on following India's progress, drawing laughter and applause from dignitaries present.
Why is Modi's Indonesia visit significant?
The visit deepens ties between the world's two largest democracies by population and signals Indonesia's growing alignment with India's development model. Cooperation in digital infrastructure, defence, and food security is reportedly on the bilateral agenda.
What was the ceremonial welcome given to PM Modi in Jakarta?
PM Modi received an unprecedented ceremonial welcome at Merdeka Palace, with schoolchildren lining the route holding Indian and Indonesian flags. President Prabowo personally welcomed him with a hug, followed by the national anthems of both countries.
How does this visit fit into India's broader ASEAN engagement?
The Jakarta visit is part of India's expanding engagement with ASEAN nations. Indonesia, as the bloc's largest economy, holds a central role in India's Indo-Pacific strategy, and Prabowo's praise for India's governance model reflects a broader regional shift in how India is perceived as a development partner.
