New Delhi, according to sources, is keen to help Jakarta build the proposed spaceport on Biak Island in Papua, a province of Indonesia.
India has had a presence in Biak since the 1990s when the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) set up a tracking, telemetry, and command (TTC) station on the island. The facility has not only supported satellite launch missions for decades but has also proved to be a strategic asset for India.
New Delhi conveyed to Jakarta its interest in expanding its footprint in Biak beyond the Isro facility, particularly in the proposed spaceport’s development. The project also attracted interest from Russia and China.
Given its strategic rivalry with China, participation in developing the spaceport in Biak would help India expand its technological footprint in the Indo-Pacific, add momentum to its space diplomacy with Southeast Asia, and prevent China from gaining unrestricted control over what could emerge as a strategically valuable equatorial launch site and a space technology hub in the region, sources in New Delhi told
They are also expected to discuss India’s role in developing the Sabang Port in Indonesia’s Aceh [province].
Indonesia’s Sabang Port is located close to Andaman and Nicobar Island – precisely 104 nautical miles from India’s southernmost tip, Indira Point, and 376 nautical miles from Port Blair.