Maritime Security, Trade In Focus As PM Modi’s 3-Nation Tour Unfolds

Indonesia, which he is visiting from July 6-8, is important because it is located at the strategic Malacca Strait, one of the world's most heavily trafficked shipping lanes and an important trade and energy throughway for India. Also, Jakarta is considered an important partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for promoting a rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Yogyakarta is aimed at jointly launching a project to conserve the UNESCO-listed Prambanan Temple Complex and highlighting the cultural linkages that have long bound the two nations.

Trade Ties With Indonesia

The focus of the visit is on strengthening economic and trade relations, enhancing cooperation in defence and security, and furthering the MAHASAGAR Vision and Act East Policy. MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) is an initiative to strengthen maritime trade, technology, and security in the Global South.

This is the Indian Prime Minister’s first visit to Indonesia since his 2018 trip, when the two countries elevated bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

“India and Indonesia share strong civilizational and people-to-people ties, and my visit will further deepen all aspects of our multifaceted partnership,” PM Modi had said while departing for the three-nation tour on Monday.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto reviewed the entire gamut of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This included trade and investment, defence and security, digital and financial technology, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, space, critical minerals, culture, and tourism. 

The two leaders welcomed the launch of the Indonesia Open Network (ION) based on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) of India. The two countries will jointly celebrate the “Tagore-Dewantara Year for Cultural and Educational Diplomacy” in 2027 to mark the centenary of Indian Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to Indonesia.

President Prabowo also conveyed Indonesia’s full support for India’s ongoing Presidency of  BRICS in 2026.

Next, Australia 

In Australia, Prime Minister Modi will participate in the India-Australia Annual Summit, which is the apex-level institutional mechanism introduced under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement of 2020. 

The discussions are expected to cover emerging areas of the bilateral relations, in particular critical minerals, cybersecurity, supply chain resilience, and emerging technologies. Ministry of External Affairs officials have indicated that the two leaders could conclude an agreement on the supply of uranium, needed for the expansion of nuclear power generation in the country.

Apart from strategic issues, the summit is likely to boost efforts to reach a new Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) that would build on the existing Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). Security cooperation is also expected to be high on the agenda as both sides seek to expand collaboration amid growing military engagement.

Prime Minister Modi will also be attending a community event during his visit to Australia and join Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a sports event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It will showcase the increasing people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The New Zealand Leg

On the last leg of the tour, Prime Minister Modi will be in New Zealand on July 10-11. It will be the first visit to the country by an Indian Prime Minister in the last 40 years.

He will meet Prime Minister Christopher Mark Luxon, who was the keynote speaker at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi last year. Since then, the relationship between the two countries has developed at a positive pace, resulting in the signing of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in a fairly short period of time. 

The two leaders will discuss opportunities to strengthen cooperation in trade, mobility, innovation and regional affairs, and new opportunities for cooperation in the Pacific. The visit also carries historical significance and is expected to provide fresh direction to a relationship that has gained pace over the past year.