Narendra Modi and President Prabowo Subianto

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto held wide-ranging bilateral talks in Jakarta on 7 July 2026. The two leaders held talks in both restricted and delegation-level formats, reviewing cooperation across trade and investment, defence and security, maritime collaboration, digital and financial technology, energy, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, space, critical minerals and rare earths, culture, tourism, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges. 

♦ India and Indonesia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between their Election Commissions to strengthen democratic cooperation, marking another milestone in the growing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. The MoU is expected to facilitate collaboration between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Indonesia’s General Elections Commission (KPU), including the sharing of best practices in election management, capacity building and electoral technology.

♦ India and Indonesia discussed cooperation on the BrahMos missile system as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral defence ties, while also reviewing progress on integrating India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Indonesia’s QRIS digital payment platform and expanding collaboration in critical minerals and mining.

♦ India and Indonesia signed key defence agreements, including cooperation on the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system and ASTRA beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, as the two countries agreed to expand collaboration across defence, critical minerals, agriculture, digital connectivity and maritime security.

First Indian PM to address Indonesian Parliament:

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Parliament of Indonesia, calling for a new era in bilateral relations anchored in shared civilisational heritage, democratic values and a common vision for the future.

♦ Modi said that the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore) will establish its first overseas campus in Indonesia, describing the initiative as a significant step in strengthening educational cooperation between the two countries and benefiting students across the ASEAN region.

India and Mali

♦ India and Mali have institutionalised their growing economic partnership with the launch of the inaugural India–Mali Forum for the Promotion of Exports in Bamako, marking a significant step towards strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties. Held over two days under the theme “Reinforcing Trade and Strategic Partnerships”, the forum was jointly organised by Mali’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Embassy of India in Bamako and the Malian Agency for the Promotion of Exports (APEX-Mali). 

♦ The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (FT-Africa) in the Department of Commerce, Amit Kumar, while Indian Ambassador to Mali, Dr N. Nandakumar, also participated.

♦ India-Mali bilateral trade crossed $326.61 million in FY2025-26, registering a 55 percent increase over the previous financial year. Mali’s key exports to India include raw cotton, finished leather, cashew, lead, gum arabic and sesame, while India exports pharmaceuticals, cotton fabrics, two- and three-wheelers, and bicycles. 

♦ The government said India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme has played a key role in boosting trade. Against Mali’s global exports of nearly $4 billion, the untapped export potential in the Indian market is estimated at around $3.96 billion.