Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Indonesia on Monday for a high-level bilateral visit aimed at strengthening strategic, economic and defence ties. During the visit, he is scheduled to hold talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and visit the historic Prambanan, the country's largest Hindu temple complex.

The visit comes at a time when India and Indonesia are seeking to deepen cooperation across defence, maritime security, trade, digital technology and the Indo-Pacific region.

BrahMos Deal Expected

One of the key outcomes expected from the visit is the finalisation of a proposed ₹2,500 crore deal for the export of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Indonesia.

If the agreement is signed, Indonesia will become the second country after the Philippines to procure the Indian-made missile system. Defence experts believe the deal would strengthen India's defence exports while enhancing Indonesia's coastal defence and maritime security capabilities.

The BrahMos missile has been jointly developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya through BrahMos Aerospace and is regarded as one of the world's fastest operational supersonic cruise missiles.

Defence, Trade On Agenda

Officials indicated that the two leaders will discuss a wide range of issues, including defence cooperation, maritime security, trade, investment, digital collaboration and regional developments in the Indo-Pacific.

Several bilateral agreements are also expected to be signed during the visit, reflecting the growing strategic partnership between the two countries. Cooperation between India and Indonesia has expanded steadily in recent years across connectivity, commerce and maritime engagement.

Third Official Visit

This marks Prime Minister Modi's third visit to Indonesia.

His first official visit in May 2018 resulted in India and Indonesia elevating their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. More than 15 agreements covering defence, counter-terrorism, maritime cooperation, science and technology, trade, digital economy and connectivity were concluded during that visit.

In September 2023, the Prime Minister returned to Jakarta to participate in the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit, reaffirming India's commitment to regional cooperation.

Sabang Port Importance

A key strategic element of India-Indonesia cooperation is Sabang Port, located near the entrance to the Malacca Strait and close to India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The port occupies an important position along one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes. India and Indonesia have previously agreed to strengthen cooperation on port development, maritime connectivity, logistics and naval collaboration around Sabang, which could improve operational support for Indian naval vessels in the Indian Ocean region.

Visit To Prambanan

Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to visit the UNESCO-listed Prambanan temple complex in Central Java, one of Southeast Asia's most significant Hindu monuments.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, the temple complex comprises around 240 structures, with the central Shiva temple rising approximately 47 metres. The monument reflects the centuries-old cultural and civilisational links between India and Indonesia despite Indonesia being the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.

The visit is expected to provide fresh momentum to the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership at a time when both countries are expanding cooperation in defence, maritime security and economic engagement.