Forging Strategic Convergence: India–Indonesia Defence Partnership in a Shifting Indo-Pacific

Delegates from the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2025, organized by the NMF, including representatives from ISI, gather in front of a display emphasizing strategic alignment, defense collaborations, and maritime initiatives. (Sumber: NMF/x.com)

New Delhi, 29 October 2025. The National Maritime Foundation (NMF) of India and Indo-Pacific Strategic Intelligence (ISI), a think tank based in Jakarta, Indonesia, jointly present the monograph “Forging Strategic Convergence: India-Indonesia Defence Partnership in a Shifting Indo-Pacific.” This publication marks the first dedicated study exploring the dynamics of defence industrial cooperation between Indonesia and India and its potential, an area that has long remained underexamined despite its growing strategic importance.

The monograph underscores the historical and strategic alignment between India and Indonesia as two maritime democracies bound by shared principles of independence and non-alignment. It argues that strategic convergence between the two countries extends beyond geopolitical alignment and embodies a shared vision for resilient and secure supply chains.

The study emphasises that defence industrial cooperation is not a departure from strategic autonomy but a means to achieve it, through self-reliance, indigenous innovation, and reduced dependence on external powers amid intensifying global competition. Both nations’ ongoing initiatives, India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat and Indonesia’s Optimum Essential Force (OEF) programme, reflect their mutual pursuit of defence self-sufficiency as a foundation for national resilience and regional stability.

Beyond strategic implications, the monograph highlights the social and economic dimensions of defence industry cooperation. Indigenous production, skilled employment, and domestic supply chain development are seen as instruments for economic empowerment and nation-building. By fostering collaboration in this field, India and Indonesia can reinforce their sovereign capabilities while contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The publication calls for continued research and policy dialogue to strengthen bilateral cooperation and advance the shared goal of a peaceful, open, and inclusive regional order.

General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, hands over the “Forging Strategic Convergence” monograph to Indonesia’s Minister of Defence during an official courtesy visit in Jakarta. (Source: Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin/Instagram.com)