69 Years of Astra's Journey: Growing Solidly, Building the Nation

Jakarta — PT Astra International Tbk (Astra) has demonstrated its commitment to driving development in Indonesia. This is evidenced in its 69-year journey, which has consistently presented various initiatives and sustained social contributions, thereby providing direct benefits to society.

As Astra approaches seven decades of operation, it remains solid in demonstrating the resilience of portfolio diversification, supported by decades of operational experience, consistent commitment to maintaining product and service quality, and strengthening synergies across its broad business operations.

“Sixty-nine years is not merely a matter of time accounting, but a story about millions of steps that have grown and moved together with the nation. For nearly seven decades, Astra has continually worked and contributed to the country to become a company of national pride. In that journey, there are two fundamental elements that have shaped Astra from the beginning to the present: the philosophy of Catur Dharma and people legacy,” said Astra’s President Director, Djony Bunarto Tjondro during an interview on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.

Djony explained that Astra’s nearly seven-decade journey has been built upon a strong philosophy. Astra aspires to be a shady tree—a company that not only grows strong but is also capable of sheltering and providing benefits to the surrounding community.

Astra has grown based on the values of Catur Dharma, inherited by Astra’s founder, William Soeryadjaya. This philosophy subsequently became part of Astra’s vision of “Prosperity Together with the Nation,” which to this day remains the direction of the company’s journey.

“Catur Dharma is not merely a written principle, but a value lived in every decision, every collaboration, and every step of the company. This value is the compass for all Astra personnel in performing their roles and ensuring Astra maintains a clear direction in facing various dynamics of the age. Catur Dharma forms the basis for determining the company’s strategic direction, realised through the 3P Roadmap—Portfolio, People, and Public Contribution—as a framework that balances performance and sustainability and strengthens company resilience to align present and future needs,” he elaborated.

Additionally, Astra firmly believes that a company is not built solely by systems or strategies, but by the people who implement them. Therefore, people legacy is an important element that ensures Astra’s continuity from one generation to the next.

Moreover, the consistent practice of Catur Dharma in daily operational activities plays an important role in continuing the values bequeathed by the founders. Consequently, the practice of Catur Dharma by Astra’s leaders in making every decision, every collaboration, and every step of the company is essential to ensure the sustainability of internalising Catur Dharma values in the next generation of Astra personnel.

Furthermore, the understanding and effective application of Catur Dharma across the Astra Group is continuously strengthened through a series of socialisation and internalisation programmes conducted at every level on an ongoing basis. Evaluation and refinement of its implementation are carried out regularly to ensure corporate culture remains relevant and effective in supporting the Astra Group’s performance.

However, when asked to identify the key to Astra’s development of quality human resources and maintenance of leadership continuity from one generation to the next, Djony pointed to people as the strength of the Astra Group.

“When we talk about people, this journey will never be complete. We must continually search for and develop new talents and prepare new leaders who possess good capabilities and also have good hearts, good character, and loyalty to the organisation,” Djony stated.

He emphasised that Astra is accelerating individual development programmes, cross-business rotation, and assignments with increasing responsibilities to ensure that prospective executives and leaders in the Astra Group gain diverse exposure to hone their leadership capabilities. This must be done consistently to filter and obtain good talents that will take the Astra Group in an increasingly positive direction.

Moreover, Djony acknowledged that business models and technology, as well as products, will always change with the times, evolution of the business landscape, competition, and changing consumer behaviour.

As information, in 2020 Astra’s subsidiaries comprised 236 companies, and have since grown to 321 subsidiary companies supported by more than 190,000 employees operating across seven business lines: Automotive and Mobility, Financial Services, Heavy Equipment, Mining, Construction and Energy, Agribusiness, Infrastructure, Information Technology, and Property.

Going forward, challenges will certainly become greater and often not only technical in nature but also related to constantly changing social, economic, and global dynamics. With a strong foundation of values, spirit of togetherness, commitment to continuous learning and adaptation, Astra can become a shady tree in accordance with the vision of Astra’s founder for “Prosperity Together with the Nation.”

“Continuity gives stability, but values give eternity. Great companies are not built in a year, but across generations that honour their values, sharpen their core, and embrace the future with courage,” Djony concluded.