India and Indonesia have agreed to expand cooperation in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food security, agriculture, fertilisers and clean energy, with the two countries signing key agreements and outlining a broad roadmap to enhance resilience in critical sectors during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to Indonesia from July 6-8.
The commitments form part of the joint statement issued after bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The two leaders noted the importance of Indonesia’s Red and White Cooperative Network as a potential logistics distribution platform for pharmaceuticals and medical products from both countries, to be implemented in accordance with their respective domestic laws and regulations.
Reaffirming their commitment to closer health sector cooperation, the leaders welcomed the signing of the Implementation Arrangement on Professional Health Workforce Development. The agreement aims to facilitate fellowship and skill enhancement programmes for healthcare professionals, provide hands-on clinical training in specialised medical fields, promote exchanges of health professionals and experts, encourage sharing of best practices in medicine and health services, and undertake other mutually agreed collaborative activities.
The leaders also called for the early conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding between Indonesia’s National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) and India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on regulatory cooperation in the field of processed food products.
Food security and nutrition emerged as another major focus area. The two countries agreed to deepen cooperation while respecting each other’s domestic policies. They welcomed efforts to strengthen collaboration in agriculture and food security through expanded food and agricultural trade, joint studies, innovation and knowledge sharing aimed at building sustainable and resilient food systems.
The leaders also looked forward to the early conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors, as well as the early renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding on marine and fisheries cooperation.
Welcoming ongoing collaboration in pharmaceuticals and medical products, the two leaders hailed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and Indonesia’s BPOM on cooperation in the regulation of medical products.
Recognising the importance of agricultural inputs for food security, India and Indonesia agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fertiliser sector and underscored the need to ensure stable, affordable and reliable fertiliser supplies amid evolving global market conditions.
The two countries also reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in energy security through joint studies and capacity building. They agreed to strengthen collaboration across conventional as well as new and renewable energy sectors, while welcoming enhanced cooperation in liquefied natural gas (LNG), green hydrogen, bioenergy, solar energy and energy efficiency technologies.
