Wednesday 29 / July / 2026
NEW DELHI/JAKARTA: India and Indonesia have significantly expanded their strategic partnership with a series of defence and maritime security agreements, highlighted by Jakarta's decision to acquire India's BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system in a deal reportedly worth $630 million.
The announcement followed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Indonesia in July 2026, where he held talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The two leaders described the partnership as a key pillar for regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.
"We're two of the largest democracies in the world," Prabowo said, adding that stronger cooperation between the two countries would benefit the wider region.
The BrahMos missile, jointly developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), can be launched from land, sea and air platforms. Global interest in the weapon has increased since India reportedly used it in combat during its 2025 conflict with Pakistan. Indonesia joins the Philippines and Vietnam as countries that have agreed to procure the missile system from India.
In another major defence breakthrough, Indonesia's Republikorp and India's Bharat Dynamics Ltd. signed an agreement covering the Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, making Indonesia the first international customer for the weapon. The missiles are expected to be integrated into Indonesian Air Force fighter aircraft, further strengthening India's growing defence export portfolio.
Analysts say the deals reflect the emergence of a long-term defence partnership. For Indonesia, the acquisitions support efforts to diversify military suppliers and reduce dependence on any single country, while for India they reinforce its ambitions to become a leading defence exporter in Southeast Asia.
Security analyst Dinakar Peri of Carnegie India described the Astra agreement as a significant milestone, saying it positions India as a credible supplier in the highly competitive global defence market and could pave the way for additional exports across the region.
Beyond defence procurement, India and Indonesia signed 14 agreements spanning critical minerals, economic cooperation, defence and maritime security.
The two countries also strengthened maritime collaboration through the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), a multinational maritime domain awareness centre operated by the Indian Navy. Indonesia has deployed its first liaison officer to the centre, joining representatives from 17 countries that coordinate information sharing to improve maritime security and incident response across the Indo-Pacific.
The IFC-IOR is connected to 28 countries through information-sharing arrangements and supports the development of a common maritime operating picture among partner navies.
"Our partnership is not merely a relationship between two countries; it is a pledge of trust in the stability of the Indo-Pacific," Modi told Indonesia's Parliament.
The expanded defence and maritime cooperation underscores the growing strategic convergence between India and Indonesia as both nations seek to promote regional security, strengthen defence industrial collaboration and enhance stability across the Indo-Pacific.
