Watch: Explained: Why PM Modi’s Indonesia visit matters for India

Nearly 40% of India’s maritime trade passes through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, the Strait of Malacca. And the country that sits at the gateway to that strategic chokepoint is Indonesia. That’s why Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia, his first bilateral visit to the country since 2018, is about much more than diplomacy. It is about securing India’s maritime interests, expanding economic partnerships and strengthening its position in an increasingly competitive Indo-Pacific. So, why does Indonesia matter so much to India?