The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army

India has invited President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia to be the Chief Guest for India's 76th Republic Day Parade on January 26, 2025. A former Army General and Defence Minister, Subianto was sworn in as the 8th President of Indonesia on October 20, 2024. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation. As a Brigadier, Subianto had attended the US Special Forces Course at Hawaii in 1996.

A controversy arose recently about Subianto clubbing his visit to India with Pakistan, in that he was to fly to Pakistan after visiting India. Now it has emerged that Subianto's visit to Pakistan is being planned separately, which our media is heralding by headlining "India has its way". But looking at this issue closely, it indicates the myopia in our foreign policy. Can we dictate Indonesia's relations with Pakistan or for that matter with another country? What is there to rejoice that Subianto will be visiting Pakistan separately?

Indonesia's defence ministry has reportedly sent a letter regarding a $450 million BrahMos deal to the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, signalling deepening defence cooperation between the two nations

Bangladesh, member of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation (comprising Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey), its radical Islamist regime is getting enormous foreign funds to fuel anti-India sentiments/acts of violence; received foreign remittances worth $2 billion in first three weeks of December 2024 and that $95.2 million is reaching Bangladesh every day. Witness the state-sponsored persecution of minorities, especially Hindus, under the new regime. Conversely, look at the freedom Hindus enjoy in Indonesia. The 1945 Constitution of Indonesia guarantees freedom of religion to all citizens.

The island of Bali showcases how Hindus and Hindu culture is preserved; with the Hindu epic Ramayana being enacted in many temples round the year. Indonesia's population is predominantly Muslim (87 per cent) but Bali is 87 per cent Hindu. The three major gods in Balinese culture and religion are Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.

Candi Prambanan (also called Loro Jonggrang) is the largest Hindu temples complex uncovered in Central Java, Indonesia; comprising 240 temples – three main ones having carvings that pictorially describe all major events from Ramayana. Indonesia's airlines is named 'Garuda Indonesia Air Lines'. All this is more than unique, Indonesia being the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation. It also indicates the centuries-old bonds between India and Indonesia.

Indonesia is India's eighth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $29.4 billion in FY 2023-24, underscoring their strategic economic partnership

Comprehensive India-Indonesia bilateral mechanisms include: Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) between foreign ministers since January 2001; Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) sine 2013; Security Dialogue since 2018; Defence Ministers Dialogue since 2012; Consular Dialogue since 2019; Interfaith Dialogue since 2018; Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism since 2005; JWG on Narcotics since 2018; Biennial Trade Ministers' Forum (BTMF) since 2011; Energy Forum since 2017; CEOs Forum sine 2013; JWG on Oil and Gas since 2012; JWG on New and Renewable Energy since 2017; JWG on Coal since 2010; JWG on Agriculture since 2008; Civil Aviation Consultation since 2018; Joint Committee on Space Cooperation since 2018; Pharmaceutical and Health-care Industry Forum since 2019; Infrastructure Forum since 2018; Joint Task Force on Andaman & Nicobar Islands since 2018. Direct Connectivity between India and Indonesia has started from August 2023 by operation of Indigo flights between Mumbai and Jakarta. Batik Air has also commenced operation of flights between Medan and Chennai.

India and Indonesia have strengthened their economic partnership, with bilateral trade touching $29.4 billion in FY 2023-24. Indonesia is India's eighth-largest trading partner, while India ranks as the second-largest buyer of Indonesian coal and crude palm oil, which points to the strategic bilateral partnership. India's exports to Indonesia totaled $5.99 billion in 2024, with mineral fuels and vehicles among the top traded goods. Notably, Indonesia's investments in India cumulatively valued at $653.88 million, spanning sectors such as automotives, pharmaceutical and banking.

The island of Bali showcases how Hindu culture thrives in Indonesia, with Hindu epics like the Ramayana enacted in temples throughout the year, reflecting centuries-old cultural bonds between the two nations

The defence cooperation agreement signed in 2001 between India and Indonesia stipulated the establishment of the JDCC to explore and identify potential areas of cooperation, matters of common interest, initiate, coordinate, monitor and control the approved cooperative activities The 7th JDCC meeting was held at New Delhi on May 3, 2024, where both sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of shared interest. The India-Indonesia friendship, which was elevated to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018, has widened the scope of bilateral relations to allow for new collaboration in the realm of defence industry, science and technology etc. The defence relations form a significant pillar to this growing partnership.

Defence engagements between India and Indonesia have diversified to include wide-ranging contacts between the services, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity building and training programmes, cooperation in UN Peacekeeping, ship visits and bilateral exercises.

According to news reports of January 11, 2025, Indonesia's defence ministry has reportedly sent a letter regarding a $450 million BrahMos deal to the Indian Embassy in Jakarta. Also, India is reportedly offering a loan to Indonesia from either the State Bank of India or any other Indian national banks; specifics of which are being worked out. With Indonesia having joined BRICS in January 2024, the BrahMos deal, if it comes through, can be transacted in Indian and Indonesia currencies.

India-Indonesia bilateral relations have a bright future. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jakarta, Indonesia in September 2023 to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th East Asia Summit. President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia to New Delhi this month would elevate the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership further. An India-Indonesia BrahMos deal will be the icing on the cake.