In a bid to bolster its growing partnership with Jakarta, New Delhi is expanding cooperation in the maritime domain with the Southeast Asian nation.
The Indian Navy announced that two of the force's warships were heading to Indonesia on Friday to participate in events including interactions with officers of the Indonesian Navy. Among other activities that are planned are sporting competitions and yoga sessions.
"Indian Navy's indigenously designed & constructed frontline warships INS Sahyadri & INS Kolkata mission deployed in South Eastern IOR visit Jakarta, Indonesia. Professional interactions, joint yoga & sports planned. Reinforcing close ties with India's maritime neighbour," the Indian Navy said in a tweet.
The development comes days after India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Jakarta for the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit.
Jaishankar subsequently described his two-day stay in the Indonesian capital as "very productive."
"As comprehensive strategic partners, we look forward to working with ASEAN to further expand our partnership to include newer areas while strengthening existing cooperations. I refer here, especially to cyber, financial, and maritime security domains," he said in Jakarta last week.
The minister underlined that India backed the "ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and its implementation through East Asia Summit (EAS)".
Indonesia holds considerable sway in the region especially among island nations in East Asia.
On the other hand, India's clout in the world has witnessed a manifold increase in recent years, with its economy being the fifth largest at present.