Indonesia Can Learn From India’s 7% Growth: Anindya Bakrie

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Kadin Indonesia chairman Anindya Bakrie says Indonesia can lift its economic growth by learning from India, which records growth of around 7% on Thursday, Dec 11, 2025 in Jakarta as both countries enter what he calls their strongest moment of economic cooperation. He delivers the remarks during the IndCham Gala Dinner, arguing that innovation, industrialization, and digital transformation have been central to India’s performance and could be replicated in Indonesia.

Bakrie says India’s rapid expansion shows how structural reforms and technology adoption can accelerate national development. He notes that Indonesia has averaged about 5% growth for three decades and needs new momentum to move closer to the 7% to 8% range.

“India grows at 7% to 8%, and that is something Indonesia should learn from,” Bakrie says. “I think it is time to learn from someone who has succeeded or who is currently pushing toward 8% growth.”

He opens his speech by highlighting the close relationship between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. Bakrie says strong ties at the leadership level help business communities push trade and investment forward.

Bakrie says Indonesia and India have entered an unprecedented political moment over the past year, marked by frequent high level meetings and engagement through forums such as BRICS. He adds that global expectations are rising for both countries as leading voices of the Global South.

“Many people have high expectations for Indonesia and India, and they see the leaders of both countries as a bright spot in the Global South,” he says. He argues that this momentum should now be translated from political intent into concrete economic action.

Bakrie notes that both countries share similar fundamentals, particularly a demographic bonus at its peak. Indonesia, with around 285 million people, and India, with more than 1.2 billion, face parallel challenges and opportunities in managing productive labor forces.

He praises Indian entrepreneurs who have consistently invested in Indonesia and encourages them to act as business ambassadors. Bakrie also urges more Indonesian companies to expand into India’s large and fast growing market.

Bakrie highlights India’s strengths in services, information technology, the digital economy, and creative industries. He says strong public interest in Indian culture, including television content, reflects deep social and cultural links between the two nations.

At present, at least 100 Indian investments or partnerships operate in Indonesia with a total value of about $1.56 billion. By contrast, only 16 Indonesian companies operate in India, a figure Bakrie says should be significantly increased given India’s roughly $4 trillion economy.

Bakrie says closer cooperation between chambers of commerce, especially through a more operational Indonesia India CEO Forum, is key to unlocking this potential. He adds that deeper ties could lift bilateral trade to more ambitious levels.

He also points to shifting global challenges, including geopolitical uncertainty and changing trade dynamics with Western economies. Bakrie argues that Indonesia and India can play a strategic balancing role between East and West by offering reliable, long term partnerships.