India and Indonesia are two Asian leaders and democracies which are reconnecting after decades, even centuries – in a world rife with new volatility and uncertainty. Both countries can collaborate and learn: Indonesia is an adept trading nation and India is a powerful tech player. The two governments are on a mission to deepen and diversify their relationship, stepping out of their past, and bringing fresh thinking.

Mumbai and Jakarta share a 200-year history of trade in spices and a once-shared love for Bombay’s silent films. Transnational networks of Indian spice and cloth merchants have marked both cities with their business, culture, and faith. A testimony to this history today is the city’s Indonesian consulate, established in 1951 – just four years after India’s independence.