Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's growth model during a banquet lunch in Jakarta this week [1].
The admission signals a deepening strategic and developmental alignment between the two largest democracies in Asia. By openly adopting Indian policy frameworks, Indonesia seeks to replicate specific socio-economic successes to benefit its own population.
President Prabowo welcomed Prime Minister Modi at the Jakarta airport to begin the two-day visit [2]. During the opening banquet, the Indonesian leader said the domestic initiatives of India influenced his own governance approach.
"I follow your career and I copied many of your programmes," Prabowo said [1]. "I don't mind admitting, because if it succeeds for hundreds of million people with the same background as Indonesia."
The exchange focused on the scalability of development programs that have worked for large, diverse populations. Prabowo said the similarities in the demographic and social backgrounds of the two nations make India's model a viable blueprint for Indonesian progress [1].
The visit included high-level discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and acknowledging India's recent development achievements [3]. The public nature of the praise highlights a shift toward South-South cooperation, where emerging economies share governance strategies without relying solely on Western models.
Modi's itinerary in Jakarta focused on these developmental synergies, emphasizing the shared goals of poverty reduction, and infrastructure growth [2]. The meeting concluded after the two-day duration [2].
“"I follow your career and I copied many of your programmes."”
This public acknowledgement of 'copying' Indian programs suggests a transition in Indonesian foreign and domestic policy toward a more explicit partnership with India. By validating Modi's growth model, Prabowo is positioning Indonesia to leverage India's experience in scaling public services for hundreds of millions of people, potentially leading to more formal policy exchanges and joint developmental frameworks between the two nations.
