Jakarta. Amid the rapid wave of digital transformation, Indonesia is no longer merely a market for artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Southeast Asia’s largest economy is seeking to become a strong player on the global stage by developing talent, building sovereign infrastructure, and delivering the benefits of inclusive AI across its archipelago.

To this end, the Indonesian Communication Ministry partnered with tech giants Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, NVIDIA, and Cisco to launch the  Indonesia AI Center of Excellence initiative. This AI center is expected to help strengthen national competitiveness in today's AI era.

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison President Director and CEO, Vikram Sinha, highlighted the importance of equitable access to technology.

"In Indonesia, we believe that AI must be inclusive, not just by access, but also inclusive in terms of opening opportunities. With the support of global partners, we want Indonesians to become not only AI users, but also creators and innovators," Vikram recently said in Jakarta.

Likewise, NVIDIA’s SVP of Telecom, Ronnie Vasishta, also pointed out how AI should be accessible to everyone.

"Through this strategic collaboration, NVIDIA is not only delivering technology but also building the foundation of a robust AI ecosystem—setting an example for other countries in integrating technology for sustainable growth," Ronnie said.

The Indonesia AI Center of Excellence aims to accelerate national AI progress by adopting four strategic approaches:

1) Sovereign Infrastructure
Indosat and NVIDIA are leading the development of Indonesia's first sovereign AI infrastructure designed for large-scale, high-performance, and national self-sufficiency. This platform will serve as a world-class foundation for secure and reliable AI deployment, while simultaneously driving Indonesia's digital ambitions and accelerating domestic innovation. Indosat, through Lintasarta as its AI Factory, is the first in Southeast Asia to integrate NVIDIA GB200 NVL72—the latest technology to support next-generation generative AI and high-performance computing (HPC).

2) Security in AI Management
Cisco is strengthening Indonesia's digital security by providing intelligent infrastructure to protect digital assets and national strategic information. This initiative is supported by a Security Operations Center (SOC), powered by Indonesia's first deployment of Splunk and Cisco's managed security services solution. This SOC will combine AI-based threat detection, data control, and comprehensive integration with national infrastructure. This is set to enable data managers in Indonesia to better protect their digital assets in accordance with applicable regulations.

3) AI for All
The AI Center of Excellence aims to open access to AI technology for hundreds of millions of Indonesians by 2027, leveraging Indosat's cellular network infrastructure. This initiative aims to democratize AI beyond geographic boundaries, while simultaneously bringing the benefits of AI to open new opportunities for both urban and rural communities.

4) Digital Talent Development
This AI Center will equip a million Indonesians with digital skills in networking, security, and AI by 2027. NVIDIA will provide research support through its AI technology center, startup mentoring through its Inception program, and training and certification from its Deep Learning Institute. Cisco will provide training through its Cisco Networking Academy to create a future workforce that will drive the digital economy. This is part of Cisco's commitment to train 500,000 Indonesians by 2030.

These joint efforts will enable a sovereign, secure, inclusive, and globally competitive AI ecosystem.