Agrinas: Indonesia Does Not Produce 4x4 Pickups
The President Director of PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota, responded to concerns regarding support for the national industry amidst the company’s decision to import pickup trucks and vehicles from India. The 105,000 vehicles are intended to meet the operational needs of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative.
Joao stated that Agrinas should prioritize local companies. However, he argued that there are no pickup trucks with a four-wheel drive (4x4) system produced in Indonesia. “But frankly, here, if it’s 4x4, there isn’t a single 4x4 produced in Indonesia. One hundred percent of 4x4s are imported from Thailand,” said Joao during a press conference at the Agrinas Pangan office, Jakarta, Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
Furthermore, Joao said that the engines for these vehicles are produced in other countries such as Japan, then shipped to Thailand, before being shipped to Indonesia. This makes the price so expensive.
Joao sees the high price of 4x4 pickups in the Indonesian market as an injustice. He also alluded to the support from the Ministry of Industry. “Why hasn’t there been any support from the Ministry of Industry in particular? Why not send the engine parts directly to Indonesia and produce them in Indonesia?” he said.
The decision to import from India, Joao said, is a breakthrough. Moreover, he claims that the decision to import vehicles has enabled Agrinas to save up to Rp 46.5 trillion in budget.
According to Joao, the public will later be able to judge for themselves which product is the best and most rational to use. “So I think this is a breakthrough that may make many people feel that ‘their pie’ is being disturbed, so they are disturbed by the imports we are doing,” he said.
Previously, the Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang, affirmed that Indonesia is capable of producing pickup trucks independently, which is proof of the independence of the national automotive industry, as well as providing significant economic added value for the economy. In fact, according to Agus, if the import of 70,000 units of 4x2 pickup trucks is met from domestic production, it will have a backward linkage economic impact of around Rp 27 trillion.
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) also asked President Prabowo Subianto to cancel the plan to import 105,000 vehicles from India for the operational activities of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative. “Importing CBU (completely built up) vehicles is the same as killing the growing automotive industry,” said Deputy Chairman for Industry at Kadin, Saleh Husin, in a written statement, Sunday, February 22, 2026.
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