Jokowi Speaks at Bloomberg Forum in India, Former British PM in Attendance

Indonesia’s seventh President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) attended a private breakfast as part of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026 in India. The private event was also attended by leading global industry figures and former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

In a video shared by Jokowi’s aide, Senior Commissioner Syarif Fitriansyah, Jokowi was seen delivering his views on AI sovereignty during the meeting.

“Building our own models and infrastructure requires years of substantial investment along with highly advanced resources. However, if we focus on AI applications, we can move faster, especially as AI technology continues to evolve,” he said, as reported on Friday, 20 February 2026.

Jokowi’s aide noted that during the private breakfast event, Jokowi was still observing his fast.

“Whilst fasting, Mr Joko Widodo attended the private breakfast hosted by the Bloomberg New Economy Forum,” the aide said.

Syarif said that during the meeting, Jokowi discussed the issue of artificial intelligence sovereignty. He said the discussion lasted one and a half hours.

He listed the attendees as including US-India Strategic Partnership President and CEO Mukesh Aghi, Bloomberg anchor Haslinda Amin, Zoom COO Aparna Bawa, Zscaler CEO and Founder Jay Chaudhry, and Ericsson Chief Technology Officer Erik Ekudden.

Also in attendance were Bloomberg New Economy Editorial Director Erik Schatzker and Global Head of Forums for Bloomberg Live David Hearn.

The forum was also attended by former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and India’s Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.

“He was seated between Haslinda and Erik Schatzker, facing Rishi Sunak, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Rajesh Subramaniam,” Syarif said.