Indonesia has launched its own open digital commerce network, the Indonesia Open Network, built entirely on the architectural blueprint of India's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This cross-border technology transfer sets a robust backdrop for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's six-day, three-nation visit to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand from July 6 to 11, 2026.
Digital Cooperation Milestone
Indonesia Open Network President Director Bayu Prawira Hie told ANI, "We built Indonesia Open Network based on the hub from ONDC India. We implemented the idea here as a digital cooperation between Indonesia and India." He expressed optimism over PM Modi's visit, highlighting the potential for bilateral pacts. "We are very excited because we know there are a lot of similarities between India and Indonesia... I think this is the time to further strengthen our collaboration. A lot of agreements will be signed, especially on the digital infrastructure that we built," Bayu added.
Technical Foundation
Advisor to Indonesia Open Network, T Koshy, explained that India launched ONDC a few years ago as a vital piece of digital public infrastructure to make commerce accessible to everyone, especially small and micro-businesses. "Indonesia has been monitoring this initiative for years and is highly impressed by its functioning; they believe it could be adopted in their own country as well. Notably, they are building their network using the same protocol that India employed for ONDC," T Koshy said. This shared foundation could pave the way for future cross-border connections and transactions between the two nations.
Curtain Raiser for Bilateral Announcements
T Koshy noted that the commercial launch of the network serves as the ideal setup for upcoming bilateral announcements. "We are the curtain raiser of an announcement of Indonesia Open Network, which is an outcome of the joint collaboration, which would be highlighted, and I think there will be many more, which will be revealed tomorrow," he said.
PM Modi's Visit and Strategic Vision
In his departure statement, Prime Minister Modi highlighted that the outreach is structured to capitalize on robust traction with all three partners, expanding collaborations across strategic, economic, and people-centric sectors while reinforcing commitments toward regional stability. "My visit to Indonesia and Australia in the Eastern and Southern Indian Ocean, respectively, followed by New Zealand, will further strengthen India's Act East Policy, MAHASAGAR Vision, as well as our outlook towards a free and open Indo-Pacific," PM Modi said. The MAHASAGAR framework—Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions—represents India's institutional blueprint for promoting security, stability, and inclusive growth across the maritime domain.
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
PM Modi will commence his visit to Indonesia from July 6 to 8 at the invitation of President Prabowo Subianto. Recalling that the two democracies elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during his 2018 visit, the Prime Minister noted that this stands as his inaugural bilateral visit since that institutional upgrade. This follows President Prabowo's visit to India, where he served as Chief Guest for Republic Day celebrations in January 2025.
Cultural Engagement and Diaspora Interaction
During his stay in Indonesia, PM Modi will interact with the Indian diaspora and accompany President Prabowo on a visit to the Prambanan Temple Complex in Yogyakarta, a UNESCO-listed site symbolizing deep cultural links between the two nations.
Next Legs of the Visit
From Indonesia, the Prime Minister will proceed to Melbourne for talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, focusing on defence, security, trade, investment, education, mobility, and people-to-people exchanges. The final stop is Auckland for a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, following the signing of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. PM Modi emphasized the contributions of the Indian diaspora and looked forward to addressing large gatherings in both Australia and New Zealand.
