Indonesia Launches The Indonesia Open Network (ION) to Build a National Open Digital Commerce Ecosystem
JAKARTA, Indonesia — 13 July 2026 — Indonesia and India marked a new milestone in their strategic digital partnership with the launch of the Indonesia Open Network (ION), a national open digital commerce infrastructure designed to create an interoperable marketplace where Micro, Small and Medium…
The Invisible Bridge: How Digital Infrastructure Is Quietly Redefining the India–Indonesia Relationship
By Sachin V. Gopalan, Founder, Indonesia Economic Forum When Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Jakarta on July 7, his visit will be viewed through many lenses. Diplomats will focus on strategic partnerships. Business leaders will look for new investment opportunities. Security analysts will examine…
Indonesia and India: Building the Next Engine of Asian Growth
By Dr. (HC) Setyono Djuandi Darmono, Founder & Chairman, Jababeka Group & Founder, President University The forthcoming State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Indonesia marks more than another diplomatic engagement. It represents an opportunity to elevate one of Asia’s oldest relationships into one…
Why Indonesia Needs a Neutral Digital Economy Layer
By SACHIN V. GOPALAN Indonesia’s digital economy is entering a new phase. For more than a decade, the focus has been on growth. Expanding internet access, acceleratingdigital payments, attracting technology investments, and bringing more businesses online haverightly dominated the conversation. The results have been impressive….
Breaking the 30% Commission Trap: How Open Networks Empower Sellers
By SACHIN V. GOPALAN There is a number that quietly shapes the reality of millions of businesses in the digital economy. Most consumers never see it. Most headlines rarely mention it. Yet for countless small businesses,it can determine whether growth remains possible or whether survival…
Indonesia Open Network: Not an App, But a New Way of Doing Commerce
By Sachin V. Gopalan Whenever a new digital initiative is introduced, the first question people usually ask is simple: “What app is this?” The question makes sense. For more than a decade, the digital economy has been shaped by apps and platforms. From e-commerce and…
What If Indonesia Had Its Own Digital Public Infrastructure for Commerce?
By SACHIN V. GOPALAN Every economy, at some point in its journey, arrives at a question larger than growth rates, startup valuations, or technological breakthroughs. The question is not simply how fast innovation is moving. It is how the system itself is designed. Indonesia may be reaching…
Indonesia’s Bet on Open Commerce as a Transformative Agenda
The Indonesia Open Network is not another marketplace. It is the protocol infrastructure that could democratise digital commerce for 64 million businesses — and rewrite the rules of who gets to participate in the digital economy. The world does not lack digital platforms. What it…
Why Indonesia’s Digital Economy Is Growing, But Not Equally
By Sachin V. Gopalan Indonesia’s digital economy is often described in superlatives. Fast-growing. Dynamic. Full of potential. And all of that is true. But beneath the impressive growth numbers lies a more uneven reality, one that deserves closer attention. Growth, by itself, does not guarantee…
Ilham Habibie Says Indonesia Can Become a Champion of the Digital Economy, Here’s the Reason
Jakarta, 15 January 2024 – Chair of the National Information and Communication Technology Council (Wantiknas) Executive Team, Ilham Habibie, assesses that Indonesia has the potential to successfully undergo digital transformation, and even has a big chance of becoming a digital economy champion. The reason is,…