Act East Policy in action: PM Modi set to embark on 3-nation visit to Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand
New Delhi, July 3
As India continues to engage within its maritime neighbourhood, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a three-nation visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand from July 8-11.
The visit to Indonesia will see a focus on reviewing the bilateral partnership, while in Australia, PM Modi will participate in the third India-Australia Annual Summit process. Covering New Zealand in the last leg of his visit, PM Modi would become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country in forty years.
Addressing a special press briefing ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to three countries, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon said, "The Prime Minister will be visiting Indonesia on 8th and 9th July. After that, he'll be in Melbourne, Australia for 10th July and then New Zealand on 11th July."
Sharing inputs on the itinerary of the Prime Minister, Tandon said that in Indonesia, the main place of engagement is the capital, Jakarta, but the Prime Minister will also be visiting the cultural centre Jag Jakarta, where he will go to the Prabanan temple complex, where India is planning to collaborate with Indonesia on the conservation work there.
He underlined how the last two weeks saw a focus on the Western Indian Ocean, with PM Modi's visits to Mauritius and Seychelles. The recent visit of Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi to New Delhi and the forthcoming visits of PM Modi to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, he said shifts the focus on the eastern maritime zones of the Indian Ocean and the Act East engagement.
Reflecting on the importance of Indonesia and the critical role it plays in the security and stability of the Malacca Straits, the MEA Secretary highlighted its importance for India and recalled the elevation of ties of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which took place during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Indonesia in 2018.
"The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that was first put in place when Prime Minister Modi visited Indonesia in 2018 has become a major building block of India's Act East policy and the MAHASAGAR vision over these last few years. Indonesia is also a key country within the ASEAN grouping that has been playing collectively a very important role in strengthening the rule-based order in this zone," Tandon said.
The MEA Secretary said that the leaders will review the relationship and try to move it forward in all aspects, especially maritime cooperation, defence, enhancing trade and economic relationship and deepening the people-to-people ties.
"The visit to Indonesia will be very much a continuation of the conversation on various bilateral tracks of cooperation that began when President Prabowo visited India as the guest of honour in 2025 for the 75th Republic Day celebrations," he said.
Tandon informed that in Melbourne, Prime Minister Modi will participate in the third India-Australia Annual Summit process. The apex level institutional mechanism was put in place under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement 2020.
Tandon underlined, "The conversations will cover emerging areas of bilateral relations, in particular the critical cybersecurity domain, supply chain resilience, and emerging technologies. After Australia, the Prime Minister will be in New Zealand, where he will hold discussions with Prime Minister Luxon."
The MEA Secretary (East) further noted the positive fulcrum in ties since the visit of President Christopher Luxon to India in 2025 and informed, "The visit to New Zealand is historic because it will be the first visit by the Indian Prime Minister in 40 years." Luxon was the guest of honour and keynote speaker at the Raisina Dialogue 2025.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Act East policy is finally getting the attention it deserves! After Modi ji's visits to Mauritius and Seychelles, now the focus shifts eastwards. Indonesia is key for Malacca Straits security. Also collaborating on conservation at Prambanan temple is a nice cultural touch. 🇮🇳🤝
First PM visit to New Zealand in 40 years, that's a big deal! I work in IT and hope these visits lead to more bilateral agreements for tech talent exchange. But why is the focus always on maritime security and geopolitics? What about concrete outcomes for common citizens?
Good to see India engaging with ASEAN and Oceania nations. The MAHASAGAR vision is complementing Act East nicely. However, I wish there was more emphasis on climate change and renewable energy partnerships, especially with Australia. Also, hope our diaspora's concerns are heard.
As an American living in India, I find the Act East policy quite strategic. PM Modi's visit to Indonesia to review the bilateral partnership and the historic New Zealand visit shows India's growing global footprint. Cybersecurity and supply chain resilience discussions with Australia are timely too.
Great initiative! But I hope the government doesn't just focus on big nations; what about our smaller neighbors like Myanmar and Bangladesh? After all, Act East is supposed to cover the entire region from Africa to Southeast Asia. Also, will there be any trade benefits for Indian farmers or small businesses?
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.