Prime Minister Narendra Modi's receipt of the Bintang Adipurna highlights the elevating trajectory of India-Indonesia relations. This strategic engagement focuses on securing maritime chokepoints, expanding defence exports, integrating digital economies, and solidifying a shared vision for a free Indo-Pacific.
Why In News?
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto formally confers the Bintang Adipurna upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his official state visit to Jakarta.
About Bintang Adipurna
The Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipurna (Star of the Republic of Indonesia) serves as Indonesia’s highest civilian and military honour.
Origin: The Indonesian government officially instituted the award in 1959.
Indian Recipients: Prime Minister Narendra Modi becomes only the second Indian Prime Minister to receive this prestigious award, succeeding Jawaharlal Nehru who received it in 1995.
The honour recognizes PM Modi's exceptional contributions to advancing India–Indonesia strategic cooperation, deepening bilateral friendship, and ensuring regional stability.
The award highlights his role in securing mutual alignment between India's Act East Policy and Indonesia's regional aspirations.
India–Indonesia Relations
Shared Maritime Geography: Both nations function as direct maritime neighbours sharing the Andaman Sea, with merely 100 miles separating India’s Great Nicobar Island and Indonesia’s Sabang Port, creating a natural geographic synergy for maritime surveillance.
Strategic Indo-Pacific Position: Indonesia controls the Strait of Malacca, a global chokepoint carrying approximately 23% of global oil and immense commercial shipping volumes, making the passage vital for global energy security and India's unhindered access to the Pacific Ocean.
Growing Economic Partnerships: Bilateral trade hovers around $23 to $24 billion, presenting a baseline for scaling investments in manufacturing, technology, and critical minerals like nickel to build resilient supply chains.
Maritime Security Cooperation: Both nations collaborate on Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and position an International Liaison Officer (ILO) at the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram.
Source: THEHINDU
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Consider the following statements regarding India-Indonesia relations:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? A) 1 and 2 only B) 2 and 3 only C) 1 and 3 only D) 1, 2, and 3 Answer: B Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the Bintang Adipurna of the Republic of Indonesia, the country's highest civilian and military honour, by President Prabowo Subianto. Statement 2 is correct: The Sabang Port is indeed strategically positioned at the entrance to the Strait of Malacca and lies just over a hundred miles from India's Great Nicobar Island. Statement 3 is incorrect: As of the current date, India and Indonesia have not officially linked their digital payment networks (like UPI) together. UPI currently operates internationally with networks such as Singapore's PayNow, the UAE's IPP, and France's Lyra, but not Indonesia's QRIS. |
The Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipurna is the Republic of Indonesia's highest state decoration, awarded by the President to individuals who have rendered extraordinary and exceptional service to the nation's unity, continuity, and prosperity.
Indonesia geographically commands the Strait of Malacca—the vital maritime chokepoint bridging the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It acts as the linchpin for India’s Act East Policy, ensuring freedom of navigation, supply chain resilience, and a balanced multipolar regional architecture.
Collaborative maritime initiatives, such as the co-development of Sabang Port and joint naval exercises, empower both nations to secure critical trade routes, combat transnational maritime threats, and project a unified security posture across the Andaman Sea.
Indonesia serves as the diplomatic and economic anchor of ASEAN. By deepening bilateral ties with Jakarta, India reinforces ASEAN Centrality in the Indo-Pacific, harmonizing its Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) to foster regional stability.
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