Introduction
One of the world’s oldest and greatest civilisations, it possesses a distinctive culture and stands as the largest democracy on Earth. It stretches from the southern tropical rainforests to the snow-capped Himalayan peaks.1 India stands out from the rest of the world as the seventh-largest country by area and the most populous nation. Meanwhile, lying across a wide arc between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, Indonesia is the world’s third-largest democracy and the fourth most populous country, comprising the largest archipelago on Earth. 2 India and Indonesia share profound civilisational, cultural, and commercial links that stretch back thousands of years. From the Indian subcontinent, followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, and later Islam journeyed to the Indonesian archipelago, fostering religious, philosophical, and artistic exchanges.3 The enduring influence of Indian epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata is evident in Indonesian performing arts, folklore, and traditional narratives.4The bilateral relationship is further reinforced by a common cultural heritage, a shared colonial experience, and parallel post-independence aspirations centred on political sovereignty, economic self-reliance, and an autonomous foreign policy orientation. One of the leading international leaders in favour of Indonesian independence during the National Revolution (1945-49) was Jawaharlal Nehru.5 Although Indonesia declared its independence in 1945, it was not until 1949 that the Dutch officially acknowledged its sovereignty. In the four years that followed, Indonesian nationalists strongly fought the Dutch attempts to re-establish their colony, which they had lost to Japan during World War II, through the use of force.6 The friendship between Jawaharlal Nehru of India and Sukarno of Indonesia blossomed after independence, characterised by support for one another and similar development objectives.
