Jakarta, 15 September 2025 – Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia has successfully hosted “Navigating the India-Indonesia Bilateral in a Changing Global Order” at the CSIS Auditorium.
The seminar was focused on reflecting the opportunities from the bilateral relations of India and Indonesia. Having long historical and spiritual relationship, India and Indonesia should navigate and continue to strengthen their bilateral relations and partnerships in the current geopolitical situation to foster regional stability. To ensure a long-term partnership and mutual benefit, Indonesia and India should build stronger connections in the health, education, and digitalization sectors. Though both nations hold significant trade roles for each other, the lack of attention and trade gaps might cause future friction points. To shape stability and growth, India and Indonesia are expected to cooperate more in many sectors such as health, digitalization, and ASEAN neutrality.
Key Highlights:
Yose Rizal Damuri, Executive Director, CSIS Indonesia, opened the session by highlighting the importance of bilateral dialogue, creating a deep understanding and building trust, resilience, and innovation between the two countries, and producing meaningful regional integration.
Dindin Wahyudin, Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister on Economic Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized the importance of Indonesia and India as leaders in their respective regions and collaboration between the two countries in multilateral forums.
Rajiv Bhatia, Distinguished Fellow for Foreign Policy Studies, Gateway House, reiterated the long history of the relationship between Indonesia and India and the roles of the two countries in assisting each other and the importance of equality and mutual respect in maintaining the friendship and mutual collaboration.
Shri Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India, reflected on Indonesia and India’s relationship and their collaborations in multinational forums. He highlighted the importance of establishing collaborations in sectors of energy, transportation, maritime security, and digital connectivity.
Shafiah F. Muhibat, Deputy Executive Director for Research, CSIS Indonesia, highlighted the complex spiritual and historical relationship between the two countries and the different priorities and roles in their respective regions. She emphasized the navigation of the bilateral relations and issues deemed important.
Ina Krisnamurthi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Indonesia to the Republic of India, defined the “C”s in the potentials and opportunities that come from the bilateral relationship: contact and connect, cooperate and collaborate, and coherence and convergence. She talked about establishing people-to-people contact, past and future collaborations in health and economy, the importance of leveraging the global South, and navigating the bilateral relations in the current global dynamics.
Sandeep Chakravorty, Ambassador of India to the Republic of Indonesia, noted the roles of both countries in bilateral trade and the lack of attention from all parties of both countries on the relationship and the opportunities that may come from giving more attention to the establishment of partnerships in many sectors, especially in maritime trades.
Ricky Eka Virgana Ichsan, Director for South and Central Asian Affairs, Directorate General of Asia-Pacific and African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Indonesia, highlighted the importance of advancing practical cooperation and creating opportunities to participate and contribute to the increasing bilateral trade. He pointed out the sectors that are open for collaborations and partnerships, such as trade, maritime defense, and geopolitics.
Explore the full discussion on YouTube CSIS Indonesia.
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