Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Monday openly acknowledged that he had drawn inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance model, saying several Indian programmes had been adapted in Indonesia and were already producing encouraging results.Speaking at a banquet lunch attended by PM Modi, President Subianto mixed humour with a message of closer cooperation as he praised India's development journey.&nbsp;Addressing the Prime Minister, he said, "I follow your career, and I copied many of your programmes. I don't mind admitting, because if it succeeds for hundreds of millions of people with the same background as Indonesia, the same problems, we are making the same, we have the same problems of a big population, we have agriculture in the background, we face many natural disasters, and yet India has achieved much progress. So I openly admit that I follow your career and I copied a lot of your programmes."&nbsp;He added that adopting those initiatives had benefited Indonesia, saying, "And it's proving to be successful for us. So, thank you very much. I'm very happy there's no copyright to all your programmes."&nbsp;The Indonesian President also revealed that a delegation from Jakarta had recently returned after spending several weeks in India to study agricultural practices that have transformed dry land into productive farmland.&nbsp;"In fact, just I think yesterday, a team from Indonesia just came back from, I think, two or three weeks of study of the achievements many Indian groups have achieved in making arid land to be arable again. It's called permaculture. So we are studying this closely, and we have a lot to learn, and we are not afraid of learning," the President noted.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://x.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Jakarta, Indonesia: During the banquet lunch hosted in honour of PM Narendra Modi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto says, &quot;... I also want to admit to your excellency (PM Modi), I follow your career and I copy many of your programs. I don&#39;t mind admitting because… <a href="https://t.co/k0DWeFPiKS">pic.twitter.com/k0DWeFPiKS</a>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://x.com/ANI/status/2074395882099732606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

President Subianto made the remarks as PM Modi is visiting Indonesia from July 6 to 8 for the first leg of his three-nation diplomatic tour, which will later take him to Australia and New Zealand.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-monitoring-nato-summit-kremlin-peskov-ukraine-trump-1783421997995">Kremlin says NATO summit is of 'great interest' as alliance unveils new defence plans</a>&nbsp;The visit also marked significant progress in bilateral cooperation as the two countries agreed to strengthen collaboration in defence, education and other strategic sectors.&nbsp;Both sides exchanged a series of Memorandums of Understanding covering space exploration, critical minerals, technology, disaster management, medical products regulation, agriculture and maritime safety.&nbsp;"We have signed an agreement to deepen collaboration in tech, AI, and startup businesses," PM Modi announced during a joint press briefing, adding, "We will be opening a campus of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B) in Indonesia."&nbsp;India and Indonesia also agreed to work towards linking their cross-border QR payment systems to make financial transactions easier.The two nations will also jointly support the preservation and conservation of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Prambanan Temple Complex in Yogyakarta.&nbsp;During the visit, Indonesia honoured PM Modi with its highest civilian award, the 'Bintang Adipurna' medal, recognising his contribution to strengthening relations between the two countries.&nbsp;Thanking Indonesia for the honour, PM Modi said, "The respect shown through this medal is for every Indian, and I would like to thank Indonesia on their behalf."

Indonesian President revealed that a delegation from Jakarta had recently returned after spending two to three weeks in India studying agricultural practices that have successfully transformed arid land into productive farmland, with the aim of adapting similar techniques in Indonesia.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Monday openly acknowledged that he had drawn inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance model, saying several Indian programmes had been adapted in Indonesia and were already producing encouraging results. Speaking at a banquet lunch attended by PM Modi, President Subianto mixed humour with a message of closer cooperation as he praised India's development journey. Addressing the Prime Minister, he said, "I follow your career, and I copied many of your programmes. I don't mind admitting, because if it succeeds for hundreds of millions of people with the same background as Indonesia, the same problems, we are making the same, we have the same problems of a big population, we have agriculture in the background, we face many natural disasters, and yet India has achieved much progress. So I openly admit that I follow your career and I copied a lot of your programmes." He added that adopting those initiatives had benefited Indonesia, saying, "And it's proving to be successful for us. So, thank you very much. I'm very happy there's no copyright to all your programmes." The Indonesian President also revealed that a delegation from Jakarta had recently returned after spending several weeks in India to study agricultural practices that have transformed dry land into productive farmland. "In fact, just I think yesterday, a team from Indonesia just came back from, I think, two or three weeks of study of the achievements many Indian groups have achieved in making arid land to be arable again. It's called permaculture. So we are studying this closely, and we have a lot to learn, and we are not afraid of learning," the President noted.

Indonesian President revealed that a delegation from Jakarta had recently returned after spending two to three weeks in India studying agricultural practices that have successfully transformed arid land into productive farmland, with the aim of adapting similar techniques in Indonesia.

Watch | 'I don't mind admitting it, I follow your career...': Indonesian President's big praise for PM Modi

The first memories between India and Indonesia began long before embassies, official visits and formal agreements. They began with the sea. Traders, monks, scholars, craftsmen, storytellers and pilgrims carried more than goods across the water. They carried words, scripts, gods, stories, food habits, and ways of seeing the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;Somewhere in this movement of people and ideas, the figure of Rishi Agastya also entered the Indonesian imagination. In Java, he came to be remembered as a teacher, a bearer of Hindu knowledge, discipline and spiritual learning. His presence in temple traditions, including Prambanan, shows how deeply Indian thought reached the islands before gradually becoming something uniquely Indonesian. &nbsp;&nbsp;The old kingdoms strengthened these connections. Sriwijaya in Sumatra became an important centre of Buddhist learning with close ties to Nalanda in India. In Java and Bali, the Ramayana and Mahabharata found new life in dance, theatre, sculpture, names and ritual. When an Indian stands before Borobudur or Prambanan, there is often a strange feeling of recognition. The stories are familiar, yet their expression is unmistakably Indonesian. &nbsp;&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/70-to-90-hour-work-weeks-meet-karoshi-the-japanese-phenomenon-india-should-think-twice-before-importing-1783064331804">India-Japan ties go far beyond trade. Here's one thing India shouldn't import: Karoshi</a>&nbsp;Rabindranath Tagore must have felt something similar when he travelled through Java and Bali in 1927. Perhaps because he was a poet, he noticed what hurried visitors often miss. He saw temples, dance, music, rituals and village life, but above all, he noticed the quiet discipline with which beauty was woven into everyday living. He recognised echoes of India, yet each one had found an Indonesian voice. The epics remained, but they moved with Javanese grace. Hindu thought survived, but in Bali it breathed through local ceremonies, offerings, community life and reverence for nature. Gamelan had its own patience. Dance had its own silence. The body moved slowly, the face remained calm, yet the story still reached the heart. &nbsp;&nbsp;I have often felt the same. In Indonesia, the past rarely announces itself. It sits quietly inside names, ceremonies, temples, family customs, and even in the way people allow time to do its work. &nbsp;&nbsp;The years of independence gave this ancient cultural closeness a deeper emotional meaning. India and Indonesia both knew the weight of colonial rule. People in both countries understood what it meant for outsiders to control land, trade, movement, education and dignity. Indonesia proclaimed independence in 1945 and fought a long struggle for international recognition. India reached freedom only two years later. Across Asia, societies were reclaiming their own voices after generations of foreign rule. India’s support for Indonesia came not only from diplomacy, but from shared historical memory - the love of one old civilisation for another seeking to recover its place in the world. Water separated the two countries; the languages and colonial histories were different, but the feeling behind freedom was remarkably similar.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/india-s-brahmos-vs-usa-s-tomahawk-russia-s-kalibr-and-china-s-yj-18-why-nations-are-lining-up-for-the-make-in-india-missile-1782892168517">India's BrahMos vs USA's Tomahawk, Russia's Kalibr and China's YJ-18: Why nations are lining up for the Make-in-India missile</a>After independence, the relationship acquired an official framework. But for those who have lived between the two countries, it has always appeared in smaller ways. Indonesia today is the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, and its Islamic life is visible everywhere, in greetings, prayers, festivals, food, family habits, and the rhythm of ordinary days. At the same time, the older layers have not disappeared. They remain in names, stories, temples, dances, village customs, respect for elders, Javanese refinement, Balinese devotion and the many influences that came through the sea over centuries. I have always found this very Indonesian. It does not keep its past separate. It allows different layers to sit together in daily life.&nbsp;I have seen it in Indonesian names like Dewi, Putri, Indra, Wisnu, and Surya. &nbsp;I have seen it in a Ramayana performance in Java where the story begins in India, but the movement, music, and mood belong entirely to Indonesia. &nbsp;I have seen it in Bali, where a visitor from India may hear familiar mantras but see a different rhythm of worship, offerings, temple life, and community discipline.&nbsp;I have seen it in Jakarta, where Indian food, films, yoga, Ayurveda, business, education, and family networks sit quietly beside Indonesian warmth, Bahasa, manners, and hospitality. &nbsp;&nbsp;The July visit from India to Indonesia enters this living tradition. For me, it touches something I have experienced in everyday life for many years.&nbsp;&nbsp;I arrived in Indonesia as an ordinary Indian professional. The first thing the country challenged was my sense of speed. I came with the Indian habit of asking quickly, deciding quickly, following up quickly and assuming that if something was clear to me, it should quickly become clear to everyone else. &nbsp;Indonesia did not argue with that habit. It simply made me wait. &nbsp;&nbsp;A conversation would begin with tea. A decision would emerge after many small exchanges. Even a “yes” needed time. A nanti could mean many things. At first, I became restless. Slowly, I realised that people were not testing my efficiency; they were quietly discovering whether I could be trusted, whether I could listen, and whether I could remain calm when life refused to follow my timetable.&nbsp;&nbsp;During my first Idul Fitri, I heard people say, “Mohon maaf lahir dan batin.” It reminded me of the Jain phrase “Micchāmi Dukkaḍaṃ” - asking forgiveness for any hurt caused knowingly or unknowingly. The language was different. The faith tradition was different. Yet the feeling was instantly familiar. I saw families visiting elders, carrying food, asking forgiveness, speaking gently and placing relationships above ego. I had seen the same values in Indian homes - sometimes during festivals, sometimes after family disagreements and often in the quiet respect shown to elders without anyone explaining why. These small experiences became the soil from which my book, Sabar, Sambal &amp; Survival, slowly grew. &nbsp;&nbsp;Today, when I think about India and Indonesia, I see the relationship through these small moments. An Indian learning Bahasa before entering an Indonesian home. An Indonesian friend explaining a local custom without making a foreigner feel foolish. A family meal where sambal sits beside Indian food and somehow both belong on the same table. A festival greeting that carries the same spirit of forgiveness I had heard in another language back home. &nbsp;&nbsp;Indonesia taught me new ways of understanding people, hierarchy, respect, humour, food, faith, family, language and belonging. In India, I had often heard the saying, “Sabr ka phal meetha hota hai” which means that the fruit of patience is sweet. After living in Indonesia, I came to understand it differently. Here, patience is never preached. It arrives with waiting, tea, silence, family, food, a smile and sometimes a little sambal on the side. By the time it reaches you, it is no longer only sweet. &nbsp;&nbsp;It has flavour! &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of WION.

The years of independence gave this ancient cultural closeness a deeper emotional meaning. India and Indonesia both knew the weight of colonial rule. People in both countries understood what it meant for outsiders to control land, trade, movement, education and dignity.

The first memories between India and Indonesia began long before embassies, official visits and formal agreements. They began with the sea. Traders, monks, scholars, craftsmen, storytellers and pilgrims carried more than goods across the water. They carried words, scripts, gods, stories, food habits, and ways of seeing the world. Somewhere in this movement of people and ideas, the figure of Rishi Agastya also entered the Indonesian imagination. In Java, he came to be remembered as a teacher, a bearer of Hindu knowledge, discipline and spiritual learning. His presence in temple traditions, including Prambanan, shows how deeply Indian thought reached the islands before gradually becoming something uniquely Indonesian. The old kingdoms strengthened these connections. Sriwijaya in Sumatra became an important centre of Buddhist learning with close ties to Nalanda in India. In Java and Bali, the Ramayana and Mahabharata found new life in dance, theatre, sculpture, names and ritual. When an Indian stands before Borobudur or Prambanan, there is often a strange feeling of recognition. The stories are familiar, yet their expression is unmistakably Indonesian. Also read | India-Japan ties go far beyond trade. Here's one thing India shouldn't import: Karoshi Rabindranath Tagore must have felt something similar when he travelled through Java and Bali in 1927. Perhaps because he was a poet, he noticed what hurried visitors often miss. He saw temples, dance, music, rituals and village life, but above all, he noticed the quiet discipline with which beauty was woven into everyday living. He recognised echoes of India, yet each one had found an Indonesian voice. The epics remained, but they moved with Javanese grace. Hindu thought survived, but in Bali it breathed through local ceremonies, offerings, community life and reverence for nature. Gamelan had its own patience. Dance had its own silence. The body moved slowly, the face remained calm, yet the story still reached the heart. I have often felt the same. In Indonesia, the past rarely announces itself. It sits quietly inside names, ceremonies, temples, family customs, and even in the way people allow time to do its work. The years of independence gave this ancient cultural closeness a deeper emotional meaning. India and Indonesia both knew the weight of colonial rule. People in both countries understood what it meant for outsiders to control land, trade, movement, education and dignity. Indonesia proclaimed independence in 1945 and fought a long struggle for international recognition. India reached freedom only two years later. Across Asia, societies were reclaiming their own voices after generations of foreign rule. India’s support for Indonesia came not only from diplomacy, but from shared historical memory - the love of one old civilisation for another seeking to recover its place in the world. Water separated the two countries; the languages and colonial histories were different, but the feeling behind freedom was remarkably similar. Also read | India's BrahMos vs USA's Tomahawk, Russia's Kalibr and China's YJ-18: Why nations are lining up for the Make-in-India missile After independence, the relationship acquired an official framework. But for those who have lived between the two countries, it has always appeared in smaller ways. Indonesia today is the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, and its Islamic life is visible everywhere, in greetings, prayers, festivals, food, family habits, and the rhythm of ordinary days. At the same time, the older layers have not disappeared. They remain in names, stories, temples, dances, village customs, respect for elders, Javanese refinement, Balinese devotion and the many influences that came through the sea over centuries. I have always found this very Indonesian. It does not keep its past separate. It allows different layers to sit together in daily life. I have seen it in Indonesian names like Dewi, Putri, Indra, Wisnu, and Surya. I have seen it in a Ramayana performance in Java where the story begins in India, but the movement, music, and mood belong entirely to Indonesia. I have seen it in Bali, where a visitor from India may hear familiar mantras but see a different rhythm of worship, offerings, temple life, and community discipline. I have seen it in Jakarta, where Indian food, films, yoga, Ayurveda, business, education, and family networks sit quietly beside Indonesian warmth, Bahasa, manners, and hospitality. The July visit from India to Indonesia enters this living tradition. For me, it touches something I have experienced in everyday life for many years. I arrived in Indonesia as an ordinary Indian professional. The first thing the country challenged was my sense of speed. I came with the Indian habit of asking quickly, deciding quickly, following up quickly and assuming that if something was clear to me, it should quickly become clear to everyone else. Indonesia did not argue with that habit. It simply made me wait. A conversation would begin with tea. A decision would emerge after many small exchanges. Even a “yes” needed time. A nanti could mean many things. At first, I became restless. Slowly, I realised that people were not testing my efficiency; they were quietly discovering whether I could be trusted, whether I could listen, and whether I could remain calm when life refused to follow my timetable. During my first Idul Fitri, I heard people say, “Mohon maaf lahir dan batin.” It reminded me of the Jain phrase “Micchāmi Dukkaḍaṃ” - asking forgiveness for any hurt caused knowingly or unknowingly. The language was different. The faith tradition was different. Yet the feeling was instantly familiar. I saw families visiting elders, carrying food, asking forgiveness, speaking gently and placing relationships above ego. I had seen the same values in Indian homes - sometimes during festivals, sometimes after family disagreements and often in the quiet respect shown to elders without anyone explaining why. These small experiences became the soil from which my book, Sabar, Sambal & Survival, slowly grew. Today, when I think about India and Indonesia, I see the relationship through these small moments. An Indian learning Bahasa before entering an Indonesian home. An Indonesian friend explaining a local custom without making a foreigner feel foolish. A family meal where sambal sits beside Indian food and somehow both belong on the same table. A festival greeting that carries the same spirit of forgiveness I had heard in another language back home. Indonesia taught me new ways of understanding people, hierarchy, respect, humour, food, faith, family, language and belonging. In India, I had often heard the saying, “Sabr ka phal meetha hota hai” which means that the fruit of patience is sweet. After living in Indonesia, I came to understand it differently. Here, patience is never preached. It arrives with waiting, tea, silence, family, food, a smile and sometimes a little sambal on the side. By the time it reaches you, it is no longer only sweet. It has flavour! DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of WION.

The years of independence gave this ancient cultural closeness a deeper emotional meaning. India and Indonesia both knew the weight of colonial rule. People in both countries understood what it meant for outsiders to control land, trade, movement, education and dignity.

India and Indonesia: An ancient relationship seen through one Indian life

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Watch | 'I don't mind admitting it, I follow your career...': Indonesian President's big praise for PM Modi

India and Indonesia: An ancient relationship seen through one Indian life