Indonesia to buy BrahMos missiles as Modi visits Jakarta

Indonesia will buy BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India, an Indian government official confirmed on Tuesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Jakarta for a landmark bilateral visit. The deal marks a significant expansion of India's defence export ambitions, with BrahMos — the Indo-Russian joint venture missile — now finding a major Southeast Asian buyer.

Modi's Jakarta visit was rich in deliverables. Beyond the BrahMos agreement, the Prime Minister offered Indonesia satellite launch capability, calling Jakarta India's 'natural space partner' and declaring that the next 25 years would be crucial for the India-Indonesia partnership. He addressed the Indonesian Parliament — where a Nehru mention drew attention — and reiterated India's position on Palestine, underscoring the visit's wide diplomatic sweep.

Modi also called for reforms to the UN Security Council and championed inclusive global development in his parliamentary address, themes consistent with India's long-standing campaign for a permanent UNSC seat. The visit was framed around shared maritime heritage, with the Prime Minister invoking the deep bond between India, Indonesia, and the Indian Ocean.

The BrahMos sale is particularly consequential. The Philippines signed a BrahMos deal earlier, and Indonesia's purchase consolidates the missile system's status as India's premier defence export product in the Indo-Pacific — a region where China's military assertiveness is reshaping security calculations for every nation with a coastline.