Agrinas Boss Ready to Accept Consequences of Pick-up Import
The Director of PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, Joao Angelo De Sousa, stated that he is ready to accept the consequences if the decision to import vehicles from India is questioned. This statement responds to a request from the Deputy Speaker of the DPR, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, for the government to postpone the plan to import 105,000 pick-up trucks from India for the Koperasi Desa Merah Putih.
Joao said that the DPR’s decision represents the voice of the people, so as the director of a state-owned enterprise, he will comply. “Without any hesitation, if I have to be sued or questioned by the supplier, that is my responsibility, and I will take that responsibility and bear all the consequences,” he said at a press conference at the Agrinas Pangan office on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
According to Joao, the potential for contract cancellation depends on who makes the request and what the basis of the request is. However, if the request comes from the state or the DPR, Agrinas will ask for direction so that future procurement is in accordance with expectations. Joao also stated that he would not use the imported pick-up trucks that have arrived in Indonesia if there is such a direction.
Joao said that Agrinas had invited various local manufacturers before deciding to import. However, considering the limited domestic production and prices exceeding the budget, Agrinas eventually decided to import. According to Joao, the budget efficiency from importing vehicles reaches IDR 46.5 trillion. “Maybe if the procurement price was IDR 700 million, the potential for cancellation would be very large. But if the procurement is cheap, it would be a pity,” he said.
The import by Agrinas was announced by the Indian automotive company, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), on their company website on February 4, 2026. M&M announced that it would supply 35,000 units of Scorpio pick-up trucks. Six days later, Tata Motors Limited announced plans to export 70,000 pick-up trucks to Indonesia. On February 20, 2026, the Director of Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota, confirmed the import of 105,000 vehicles from the Indian company. One hundred thousand vehicles consist of 35,000 units of 4x4 pick-up trucks from M&M, then 35,000 units of 4x4 pick-ups and 35,000 units of six-wheeled trucks from Tata Motors. Deputy Speaker of the DPR, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, previously said that the import plan needed to be postponed because President Prabowo Subianto was on a working visit abroad. According to him, the president will also discuss the details of the plan. Dasco said that the president would also ask for opinions and assess the readiness of domestic companies regarding the plan to import Indian pick-up trucks. “So we have conveyed the message to postpone it first. That’s it,” said Dasco at the DPR complex, Jakarta, on Monday, February 23, 2026. Editor’s Choice: Impact of Importing 105,000 Indian Pick-up Trucks on the Automotive Industry