Some notable things stand out from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s successful visit to Indonesia.
The warmth of welcome that Prime Minister Modi received from President Prabowo Subianto, the government and the people of Indonesia was palpable. After the VVIP aircraft was escorted by Indonesian Air Force Sukhoi and F-16 fighter aircraft, President Prabowo received him at the airport and personally accompanied the prime minister to almost every engagement, including the Indonesian Parliament, the diaspora event, and the visit to the Prambanan Temple. This reception, together with the exchange of bilateral visits in 2025 and 2026, marks a distinct departure from the earlier long gaps between high-level visits despite the goodwill that always existed.
One reason for this change is that Indonesia is now acting more purposefully and responding more actively to initiatives that had been jointly agreed upon or proposed in the past. Agreements were often signed, but implementation remained slow. There now appears to be a conscious effort to pursue implementation, leading to the fulfilment of commitments as well as to new ideas and initiatives.
