South-South bonding: India-Indonesia youth power to boost innovation

India and Indonesia have forged a groundbreaking partnership to foster collaboration among their youth in the realms of start-ups, deep-tech innovation, artificial intelligence, and talent development. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Global Research Foundation recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesia's Higher Education, Science, and Technology Ministry in August to bolster deep-tech commercialization and joint research initiatives.

The MoU aims to deepen strategic cooperation in higher education, research, innovation, deep technology, entrepreneurship, and talent development, creating a strong bond between the youth of both nations. This initiative builds upon the July bilateral summit where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto pledged to significantly expand cooperation in higher education, science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The partnership leverages IIT Madras's globally recognized expertise in research, deep technologies, and innovation, along with Indonesia's ambitious national development agenda. By combining these strengths, the collaboration seeks to create transformative solutions contributing to Indonesia's economic growth and positioning the two countries as globally competitive innovation hubs.

Indonesia aims to become a globally competitive, innovation-driven economy, and this partnership with IIT Madras is a crucial step towards achieving this vision. Through joint research, talent development, technology commercialization, and innovation programs, universities across Indonesia will have greater opportunities to engage with world-class institutions and transform ideas into start-ups, fostering economic value and growth.

The initiative highlights the growing strategic relationship between India and Indonesia, reflecting the shared aspirations of both nations to build globally competitive innovation ecosystems that drive sustainable economic development, technological self-reliance, and knowledge-driven progress.