Creative Economy Minister: Culinary Expansion Opens Export Chain Opportunities

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya has stated that the expansion of Indonesian cuisine into the international market can open opportunities for the creative industry to enter the global supply chain as well as export markets. “For us, cuisine is not just food, but also an instrument of cultural diplomacy to introduce Indonesia to the world,” Riefky said in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday. Riefky said the presence of the Minang restaurant Sederhana in Singapore is a strategic step to broaden the penetration of Indonesian cuisine into the international market while strengthening the position of the culinary subsector as one of the main drivers of the national creative economy. The expansion of Restoran Sederhana, according to him, shows that Indonesian creative economy players are capable of expanding the global market and serves as an example of how local intellectual property can grow to become a champion at the international level. The creative economy currently contributes around Rp1,600 trillion to the national GDP. In 2025, the export value of the creative economy reached USD 31.94 billion with realised investment of Rp183.01 trillion. In this context, the culinary subsector is one of the growth engines as well as a strategic instrument to introduce Indonesia’s identity to the world. President Director of PT Global Minang Ventura (GMV) Nova Dana Eka Putri expressed appreciation for the support from the Creative Economy Ministry in driving the strengthening of the national creative economy ecosystem and paving the way for Indonesian culinary brands to grow in the international market. “We believe this step is aligned with efforts to strengthen culinary diplomacy, nation branding, and the competitiveness of Indonesia’s creative economy at the global level,” said Nova. The collaboration between the Creative Economy Ministry and GMV has been ongoing since 2025 through support for expanding the Restoran Sederhana network to the international market. This support includes facilitating GMV’s participation in the Business Matching Culinary Programme in Sydney as well as support for operational and human resource development for business expansion abroad.