Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin is set to visit New Delhi in the last week of November for talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting comes at a crucial moment, especially after Indonesia’s formal request to buy the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system.
Officials familiar with the preparations say this round of talks carries real weight. Both sides have held several military-level meetings in recent months, and Jakarta’s growing interest in BrahMos has pushed the engagement into higher gear.
Rajnath Singh recently disclosed in Lucknow that Indonesia had officially sought to procure the system manufactured at the new BrahMos Aerospace facility there. On October 18, he and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off the first batch of missiles produced at the unit. For India, the potential Indonesia deal would mark a standout moment in its defence export journey, proving that it can supply sophisticated, battle-tested indigenous weapons. Officials said India has also showcased other home-grown systems demonstrated during Operation Sindoor.
Just days before this, on October 28, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan met Minister Sjamsoeddin in Jakarta to explore deeper cooperation between the two defence establishments.
Experts say the BrahMos strikes carried out during Operation Sindoor, hitting Pakistani airbases with pinpoint precision—have significantly boosted international confidence in India’s defence capabilities. Indonesia’s interest also ties back to President Prabowo Subianto’s January visit to India, when he attended the Republic Day parade as chief guest and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on expanding defence production and supply chain partnerships.
Meanwhile, India is getting ready to send the third and final batch of BrahMos missiles to the Philippines under the $375 million deal signed in 2022. New Delhi is also in discussions with Vietnam, Malaysia and several other countries exploring the possibility of BrahMos acquisition.
Rajnath Singh has described BrahMos as a system that has moved well beyond testing, calling it one of India’s strongest assurances of national security. He noted that every part of Pakistan lies within its reach.
The BrahMos missile, capable of travelling more than 290 km at speeds up to Mach 2.8, is the product of a joint effort between India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia.
