Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 hailed the outcomes of talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, saying the two nations are charting the course for a 'future-ready partnership' that will deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across space, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and Digital Public Infrastructure.

Context

Rijiju, posting on X, described the bilateral discussions as 'productive' and said they have 'further strengthened' the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Indonesia. He listed space, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, Digital Public Infrastructure, and other emerging technologies as the key areas of forward cooperation, calling them 'new avenues for innovation, collaboration and shared prosperity.'

The post reflects a high-level diplomatic exchange between the two leaders, though the precise venue and specific agreements signed remain subject to official confirmation from both governments.

Policy Backdrop

The India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was first elevated in May 2018 when Prime Minister Modi visited Jakarta, broadening the bilateral framework to cover defence, maritime cooperation, trade, and connectivity. The latest round of engagement builds on that foundation, now extending explicitly into next-generation technology domains.

Digital Public Infrastructure — India's stack of interoperable digital systems including UPI and Aadhaar — has increasingly been positioned as an exportable model for partner nations. Indonesia, with a population exceeding 270 million and a fast-growing digital economy, represents one of the most consequential potential adopters in the Indo-Pacific region.

The push for technology cooperation also sits within India's broader Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific engagement strategy, which treats ASEAN nations as priority partners for both economic and strategic alignment.

Stakeholders and Impact

President Prabowo Subianto, who assumed office in October 2024, has made expanding economic and security ties with India an early foreign-policy priority. His engagement with PM Modi signals continuity and deepening of bilateral ties under the new Indonesian administration.

Indian and Indonesian technology firms, digital startups, and space-sector entities stand to benefit from any follow-on joint working groups or technical agreements that formalise the areas Rijiju outlined. Cooperation on AI and space in particular could open procurement, co-development, and capacity-building opportunities for companies on both sides.

For India's ISRO and its growing commercial space ecosystem, a partnership with Indonesia — which sits astride critical maritime and satellite coverage zones — carries both commercial and strategic significance.

What's Next

Observers will watch for the announcement of formal joint working groups or memoranda of understanding covering the technology areas flagged by Rijiju. The next ASEAN-India Summit and any subsequent bilateral leaders' meeting are natural milestones for translating the stated intent into binding frameworks.

As India continues to position its Digital Public Infrastructure stack as a development-cooperation tool, Indonesia could become a flagship case for DPI adoption in Southeast Asia — with implications for how other ASEAN economies engage with India's digital architecture in the years ahead.