Prabowo Gifts Angklung to Indian PM Modi as Symbol of Friendship

President Prabowo Subianto presented a set of angklung as a souvenir to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The gift was given during Modi’s visit to the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, 7 July 2026. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya stated that the presentation of the angklung was part of cultural diplomacy. ‘During the meeting, President Prabowo gave a diplomatic souvenir in the form of a set of angklung to PM Narendra Modi. The angklung, a traditional musical instrument typical of West Java, is a symbol of friendship and Indonesia’s cultural wealth,’ Teddy said in his statement. Through a video statement, the Cabinet Secretariat shared the moment Prabowo gave the angklung to Modi. While showing the set of angklung, President Prabowo conveyed a brief message to the leader of the world’s most populous nation. ‘For your collection,’ Prabowo said to Modi. During the moment, Prabowo and Modi briefly tried playing the angklung. Both leaders shook the angklung in their respective hands. A palace staff member was also seen playing a set of angklung in front of Prabowo and Modi, performing the melody of the Indian song ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. Modi appeared to smile and tried playing the musical instrument. PM Modi visited Indonesia for three days. He had been in Jakarta since Monday, 6 July 2026. Besides visiting the capital, Modi will travel to Yogyakarta to visit Prambanan Temple. President Prabowo officially received Modi through a state ceremony at the Merdeka Palace on Tuesday. They also held a closed bilateral meeting followed by their respective delegations and a luncheon. A number of strategic memoranda of understanding were signed at the Merdeka Palace. The meeting resulted in 16 agreements between the two countries. In the presence of President Prabowo and PM Modi, one of the cooperation documents exchanged was a collaboration between the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the Indian Space Research Organisation. This agreement covers cooperation in space research. Additionally, Indonesia and India announced 15 other documents covering cooperation in various fields, ranging from defence, energy, health, and culture to technology.