Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, urged investors to maintain confidence in the country’s startup ecosystem despite recent setbacks and sluggish funding. Speaking at the Tech in Asia conference in Jakarta, she highlighted the strong growth of Indonesia’s tech sector, citing a 26% rise in the Jakarta Composite Index and over 33% growth in the tech sector since March 2025. She emphasized that Indonesia’s digital economy, which reached USD 90 million in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2024, is projected to expand to USD 360 billion by 2030, driven by rapid AI adoption.
Meutya also announced upcoming initiatives, including a digital startup index to launch next year that will map, measure, and support the ecosystem’s potential in Asia. She acknowledged challenges such as scandals involving startups like agritech unicorn eFishery and the impact of rising borrowing costs on funding but stressed the ecosystem’s resilience and continued job creation. Indonesia currently hosts over 29,000 startups, with major companies like GoTo and J&T Express evolving beyond the startup phase.
