Why Indonesia?
Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, offers a compelling opportunity for investment and growth. Key factors include:
- Population Size: Over 270 million people, forming a vast consumer base.
- Consistent Economic Growth: Averaging around 5% annually in recent years.
- Expanding Middle Class: Projected to reach 140 million by 2030.
- Young Demographics: 60% under the age of 40, fostering innovation and consumption.
- Digital Economy: Expected to reach USD 124 billion by 2025.
- Rich Natural Resources: Palm oil, coal, natural gas, and minerals.
- Strategic Location: Gateway to ASEAN with access to over 650 million people.
- Government Initiatives: Tax incentives, deregulation, and infrastructure projects attracting FDI.
- FDI Potential: High in manufacturing, mining, and real estate sectors.
About Indonesia Economic Forum
Brings together business leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders to drive economic transformation.
Founded in 2014, now in its 11th year with events hosted across Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Makassar, and other key cities.
Provides a platform to influence policies, foster partnerships, and generate actionable insights for business growth.
Engages over 10,000 founders, executives, and senior leaders through conferences and digital platforms.
Hosts an Annual Conference, roundtables, sectoral forums, and publishes insights on Indonesia’s economic future.
Acts as a bridge between government, industry, and regional stakeholders to shape sustainable economic growth.
Our Mission
- Promote sustainable economic growth and development
- Identify critical economic opportunities and challenges
- Foster thought leadership and policy influence
- Build inclusive dialogue and collaborations
- Empower the next generation of Indonesian leaders
Sectoral Forums
- Indonesia Education Forum – National platform to transform education
- Indonesia Technology Forum – Driving industrialisation & digital economy
- Indonesia Net Zero Forum – Focusing on low-carbon, climate-resilient growth
- Indonesia Regional Banks Forum (BPD) – Supporting inclusive financial development
Our Signature Venue
The iconic Habibie & Ainun Library, the heritage site of the late B. J. Habibie, 3rd President of Indonesia, located at Jl. Patra Kuningan XIII Blok L15/7 No.5, East Kuningan, South Jakarta City.
The Founders
Sachin Vijaya Gopalan Founder & CEO
Shoeb Kagda Co-Founder
Shoeb Kagda is a veteran journalist-turned-media entrepreneur and convenor of economic dialogue. He co-founded and leads the Indonesia Economic Forum (IEF) as its Founder & CEO—a multi-stakeholder platform uniting government, business, economists, and civil society to shape Indonesia’s economic direction. Kagda also established the English-language business magazine Globe Asia and later founded Synthesis Indonesia, a media and political consulting firm. With a background in economic journalism—initially covering the 1998 Asian financial crisis for the Singapore Business Times—he has also held leadership roles including Group Editor-in-Chief of BeritaSatu Media Holdings and sits on the board of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia.
Advisory Board
Ilham A Habibie Chairman, National ICT Council, Republic of Indonesia
- Chairman, National ICT Council, Republic of Indonesia
- Vice Chairman, KADIN – Telematics, Broadcasting, Research and Technology
- Founder, PT Ilthabi Rekatama
- Founder, Orbit Ventura & Berkarya!Indonesia
- Chairman, Digital Economy, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Indonesia
- Secretary General, The International Islamic Forum for Science, Technology and Human Resources Development (IIFTIHAR)
- Board of Trustees, Indonesian Technology Innovation Foundation (INOTEK)
- Chairman, Business Action for Support of Information Society (BASIS), ICC, Paris
- Chairman, Bandung Smart City Council
- Advisory Board Member Indonesian Mining Services Association
James Castle Founder, CastleAsia
- Founder, CastleAsia
- Board Australia-Indonesia Center
- Board Member, AMCHAM
- Hon. Professor, Monash University
- Advisory Board, East-West Center, University of Hawaii
- Board Member, International Business Chamber of Indonesia
- Board Member Coca Cola,
- Commissioner, TVS Motors Indonesia
Shinta Kamdani CEO, Sintesa Group
- CEO, Sintesa Group
- Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN)
- President at Indonesia Business Council For Sustainable Development
- Board of Directors at Global Entrepreneurship Program Indonesia, World Wide Fund Indonesia and WWF International.
- Vice Chief Executive Officer at Association of Indonesia Employers
Sandiaga S Uno Former Minister of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia
Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno is a prominent entrepreneur, investor, and public figure with extensive experience in finance, tourism, and economic development. Uno served as the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia (2020–2024) and previously as the Vice Governor of Jakarta. He has played a key role in advancing Indonesia’s tourism recovery, creative industries, and entrepreneurship initiatives. Uno is the Co-founder of PT Saratoga Investama Sedaya Tbk and PT Recapital Advisors, both major investment firms in Indonesia. He is actively engaged in promoting small and medium enterprise (SME) empowerment, sustainable economic growth, and international partnerships, and has worked extensively in both the private sector and government to foster inclusive economic development.
T Koshy Founder & CEO, ONDC & NSDL
T. Koshy is a pioneering leader in digital commerce and public infrastructure with extensive experience in technology-driven policy and inclusive economic systems. Koshy served as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), an Indian government-backed initiative aimed at democratizing e-commerce and making it accessible to all sellers and buyers, including MSMEs and underserved communities. He has held senior leadership roles in advisory and financial institutions, including as Advisor & Partner at Ernst & Young (EY) and Executive Director at the National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL). Koshy’s expertise spans digital public infrastructure design, system interoperability, and equitable access to commerce platforms—highlighted by his efforts to expand ONDC’s reach, onboard hundreds of partners, and scale transactions across India while emphasizing transparency, inclusivity, and competition.
Satish Mishra Founder, Arthashasrta Institute
Dr. Satish Chandra Mishra is a distinguished political economist and policy advisor, notably the founder and Executive Director of the ArthaShastra Institute in Bali. He previously established and served as Managing Director of Strategic Asia Indonesia and Strategic Asia Global, a consultancy specializing in political economy across China, India, and Indonesia. He continues his influential work as a Senior Associate Fellow at The Habibie Centre in Jakarta, contributing to Southeast Asia’s macroeconomic and policy dialogues.