JAKARTA, July 9, 2026 — Indonesia is taking a major step toward transforming its digital economy through the Indonesia Open Network (ION), a national Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiative that is creating an interoperable digital commerce ecosystem where Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), farmers, cooperatives and local businesses can participate more competitively in the digital economy.

Developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Kementerian UMKM), ION strengthens the Ministry’s SAPA UMKM initiative through PASAR SAPA, an interoperable transaction layer that transforms the platform into a nationwide digital commerce ecosystem connecting MSMEs with buyers, logistics providers, financial institutions and government services.

Rather than creating another digital marketplace, ION enables existing marketplaces, applications and service providers to work together through a shared national digital infrastructure, allowing businesses to access markets, logistics, payments, financing and digital services without being locked into a single platform.

Maman Abdurrahman, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of the Republic of Indonesia, said the initiative reflects Indonesia’s commitment to ensuring that every entrepreneur can participate in the country’s digital transformation.

“Our vision is that every Indonesian MSME has an equal opportunity to participate in the digital economy, regardless of size or location. Through SAPA UMKM and the Indonesia Open Network, we are creating an open ecosystem that connects entrepreneurs with markets, logistics, finance, integrated public services, and AI-based services. This collaboration demonstrates how Digital Public Infrastructure can be a powerful engine for inclusive economic growth.”

Indonesia Open Network has been established to help solve many of the structural challenges facing Indonesia’s digital economy. Millions of Indonesian micro-enterprises remain disconnected from digital commerce. Rural entrepreneurs continue to face barriers in reaching wider markets. Farmers often struggle with fragmented supply chains. Women-led enterprises frequently lack equitable access to digital business opportunities. Informal workers remain underserved by digital financial services, while many small businesses continue to rely on multiple disconnected digital platforms that increase costs and reduce competitiveness.

As Indonesia advances toward its vision of Indonesia Emas 2045, addressing these structural barriers has become a national priority.

ION functions as a national interoperability layer connecting buyer applications, seller applications, logistics providers, payment systems, financial institutions, insurance providers and digital services through open protocols.

Its philosophy is simple: Join Once. Sell Everywhere.

Join Once. Sell Everywhere.

Instead of requiring MSMEs to register separately across multiple commercial platforms, ION enables businesses to connect once and become discoverable across an expanding network of buyer applications while gaining access to interoperable logistics, digital payments, financing, insurance and other business services.

By separating infrastructure from applications, ION encourages innovation, increases competition, reduces transaction friction and gives consumers and businesses greater choice.

To accelerate implementation, the Indonesia Open Network (ION) today also announced the support of Google.org for the incubation phase of Indonesia’s national open digital commerce infrastructure, marking another significant milestone in the country’s journey to build an inclusive, interoperable and AI-enabled Digital Public Infrastructure for the digital economy.

Google Cloud is supporting ION’s technical deployment with access to cutting-edge open source technologies. Separately, Google.org, Google’s philanthropy, is supporting the incubation phase of ION to accelerate inclusive digital commerce for communities such as micro-enterprises and rural entrepreneurs across Indonesia.

The collaboration represents a significant multi-stakeholder effort to advance Digital Public Infrastructure for transactions in Indonesia, bringing together the Government of Indonesia, global thought leaders, technology innovators, industry partners and Google’s technology and philanthropic capabilities to create shared digital infrastructure that expands economic opportunity while preserving openness, interoperability and national digital sovereignty.

Anil Bhansali, Vice President of Engineering, Google Cloud, said the initiative reflects the transformative potential of Digital Public Infrastructure.

“For a rural artisan, farmer, or youth entrepreneur, DPI acts as an invisible digital highway that lowers costs and democratizes trade where traditional e-commerce falls short. Our deep experience supporting DPI across global markets, from India to Africa, has proven that open, reusable infrastructure can successfully scale to empower neighborhood merchants and smallholder farmers. Working with ION and our global partners Beckn Labs and the World Bank, we are helping unlock direct economic opportunity for those who need it most.”

The initiative also welcomes Networks for Humanity (NFH) as its Knowledge Partner, contributing global expertise as an international think tank, a network of innovation laboratories and a builder of universal digital infrastructure dedicated to advancing open, interoperable and inclusive digital ecosystems worldwide.

Supporting the initiative is an expanding coalition of Founding Ecosystem Partners comprising Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Protean e-Gov Technologies, Pidge, Remiges, Bajaj-Maxride, PlaceOrder, Haqdarshak, Integra Microsystems, Moving Tech Innovations, Infinys and Blitz, whose collective expertise spans telecommunications, Digital Public Infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence, logistics, enterprise technology, mobility, financial inclusion and digital commerce. Additional organizations from Indonesia and internationally are actively engaging with ION as the ecosystem continues to expand. In the coming months, a broader cross-section of service providers and corporates will join the network to make this a foundational infrastructure for the Indonesian digital economy.

Together, these organizations represent a new model of public-private collaboration that seeks to establish digital infrastructure as a shared national asset—one that enables innovation across the ecosystem while ensuring that businesses of every size can participate in Indonesia’s digital future.

ION also represents one of the most important practical implementations of the Memorandum of Understanding on Digital Development signed between the Governments of Indonesia and India during the State Visit of President Prabowo Subianto to India in January 2025.

Drawing on the experience and lessons of India’s pioneering Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), ION has been designed specifically for Indonesia’s economy, geography and national development priorities. Rather than replicating another country’s model, Indonesia has adapted internationally proven principles of open networks to create Digital Public Infrastructure that serves its own national priorities.

It extends the concept of Digital Public Infrastructure beyond identity and payments into the domain of digital commerce, where Artificial Intelligence, interoperability and open architecture work together to expand economic participation. By embedding Artificial Intelligence throughout an open digital ecosystem rather than within isolated platforms, ION aims to help democratize access to AI for businesses across Indonesia, supporting the country’s broader ambition to become one of the world’s early adopters of AI at population scale.

T Koshy, Advisory Council Member of Indonesia Open Network and Founding Managing Director & CEO of ONDC India, said Indonesia’s implementation demonstrates how countries can adapt open network principles to their own national priorities.

“The real strength of open networks lies in creating shared infrastructure that allows innovation to flourish across an entire ecosystem rather than within individual platforms. The support of Google.org and the commitment of our Founding Ecosystem Partners reflect growing confidence that open, interoperable Digital Public Infrastructure can become a catalyst for innovation, competitiveness and sustainable national growth.”

Complementing the national commerce layer is ION Hyperlokal, which develops localized digital economies by connecting villages, districts, traditional markets, farmers, delivery providers and community enterprises into hyperlocal commerce ecosystems where economic value is created and retained within local communities.

The first implementation phase will establish interoperable digital commerce ecosystems across selected regions of Indonesia, including rural villages, integrating MSMEs, logistics providers, buyer applications, financial institutions and community organizations into a shared digital infrastructure. The program is designed to expand economic participation for women-led enterprises, rural entrepreneurs, farmers and informal workers while strengthening access to payments, financing, insurance and essential digital services.

The Indonesia Open Network has been built on the principle that national Digital Public Infrastructure can only succeed through broad ecosystem collaboration. Government establishes policy direction and national priorities. Global technology leaders contribute innovation and expertise. Industry partners build interoperable digital capabilities. Financial institutions expand access to inclusive finance. Logistics providers strengthen national connectivity. Developers create new applications and services. Universities, startups and communities drive local innovation.

Shinta Kamdani, Chairperson of the Advisory Council of Indonesia Open Network and Chairperson of APINDO, said the private sector is fully committed to supporting Indonesia’s next generation of digital infrastructure.

“Indonesia has an opportunity to build one of the world’s most inclusive digital economies by investing in shared digital infrastructure rather than isolated digital platforms. Indonesia’s implementation represents an important evolution of these principles and demonstrates how countries can adapt open digital commerce to meet their own national priorities.”

As Indonesia advances toward Indonesia Emas 2045, Digital Public Infrastructure will become an increasingly important foundation for national competitiveness.

Indonesia Open Network demonstrates a new approach to digital nation-building—one where openness replaces fragmentation, interoperability replaces silos and collaboration replaces exclusivity. By enabling businesses to connect once and participate everywhere, by democratizing access to Artificial Intelligence, and by strengthening the digital foundations of commerce, logistics and financial inclusion, ION seeks to ensure that Indonesia’s digital economy is not only larger, but fairer, more resilient and more inclusive.

Supported by Google.org, strengthened by the Government of Indonesia, and built together with an expanding coalition of ecosystem partners, Indonesia Open Network is laying the foundations for a digital economy that belongs to every Indonesian.

About Indonesia Open Network (ION)

Indonesia Open Network (ION) is Indonesia’s national open Digital Public Infrastructure for interoperable digital commerce. Built on open protocols and designed for AI-enabled interoperability, ION connects buyer applications, seller applications, logistics providers, payment systems, financial institutions and digital services through a shared national infrastructure. By enabling businesses to Join Once. Sell Everywhere., ION expands market access, strengthens financial inclusion and supports sustainable economic growth across Indonesia.

About Google.org

Google.org applies Google’s innovation, research and resources to promote progress and expand opportunity for everyone.

About Networks for Humanity

Networks for Humanity is a global think tank, network of innovation laboratories and builder of universal digital infrastructure. The organization works with governments, industry and civil society to advance open, interoperable and inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure that expands opportunity and strengthens digital ecosystems worldwide.

Media Contact

Indonesia Open Network (ION)

Tika Widia
Email: tika@chairos.id
Website: https://ion.id