By Rafiq Vayani
KARACHI: The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Karachi, in collaboration with the Department of Industry and Trade of West Java Province, successfully organized an Indonesia–Pakistan Business Meeting and One-on-One Business Matching on Saturday, 13 June 2026.
Held in a hybrid format as part of the West Java International Industry and Trade Expo 2026, the event connected Indonesian manufacturers and exporters with prospective Pakistani importers, distributors, buyers, and business partners.
Approximately 27 Pakistani business representatives attended the meeting in person at the Indonesian Consulate General in Karachi. They represented companies engaged in food and beverages, trading, retail, distribution, hospitality, agriculture, food processing, and related industries. Meanwhile, Indonesian exporters and manufacturers participated virtually from Indonesia, presenting products in four priority sectors: coffee, tea, cocoa and chocolate products, as well as agricultural machinery and supporting equipment.
The programme commenced with opening remarks by Ms. Nining Yulistiani, Head of the Department of Industry and Trade of West Java Province, followed by remarks from H.E. Mr. Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, Ambassador of Pakistan to Indonesia, and a welcoming address by Mr. Mudzakir, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Karachi.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Nining Yulistiani highlighted West Java’s position as one of Indonesia’s leading industrial and export-oriented provinces, supported by a strong manufacturing base, dynamic small and medium enterprises, and a wide variety of competitive products.
She emphasized that the participation of West Java companies in the programme reflected the provincial government’s commitment to helping local businesses expand into international markets. Pakistan, with its large consumer base, growing industries, and strategic location, was viewed as an important potential market for West Java products.
“This business meeting is expected to open direct communication between West Java exporters and Pakistani business partners. We hope that today’s initial discussions will be followed by product inquiries, exchange of samples, commercial negotiations, distributorship arrangements, and concrete business transactions,” she said.
In his remarks, H.E. Mr. Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri welcomed the initiative as a timely and practical contribution to strengthening economic cooperation between Pakistan and Indonesia.
He noted that Pakistan and Indonesia enjoy close and longstanding relations, supported by shared values, mutual respect, and strong people-to-people connections. These relations, he stated, should be increasingly reflected in broader and more diversified trade and investment cooperation.
The Ambassador underlined the complementary economic strengths of the two countries. Indonesia possesses substantial capabilities in agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, and export-oriented industries, while Pakistan offers a sizeable consumer market, an extensive distribution network, and opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, manufacturing, and technology.
Welcoming the participants, Consul General Mr. Mudzakir stated that the meeting had been designed with a clear and practical purpose: to connect Indonesian producers directly with Pakistani buyers, identify market opportunities, and translate the strong bilateral friendship into concrete economic cooperation.
He observed that bilateral trade between Indonesia and Pakistan had reached approximately USD 4.26 billion in 2025, demonstrating a strong foundation for economic engagement. Nevertheless, significant opportunities remained to diversify traded products, broaden business networks, and make bilateral trade more balanced and sustainable.
“The friendship between Indonesia and Pakistan has always been strong. Our task today is to ensure that this friendship is also reflected in concrete, commercially viable, and mutually beneficial business partnerships,” the Consul General stated.
Mr. Mudzakir further highlighted Karachi’s strategic role as Pakistan’s largest commercial centre, principal seaport hub, and a major gateway for distributing imported products to markets across Pakistan. He noted that the sectors represented at the meeting were particularly relevant to Pakistani market demand.
Pakistan’s sizeable and consistent demand for tea offers opportunities for Indonesian producers to introduce quality tea products and explore new market segments. Indonesia’s internationally recognized coffee varieties also have strong potential amid the expansion of café culture, hotels, restaurants, and specialty beverage consumption in Pakistan.
In the cocoa sector, Indonesia is already an important supplier to Pakistan. This provides a strong basis for expanded cooperation with Pakistan’s confectionery, bakery, dairy, and food-processing industries.
Agricultural machinery and supporting technologies also present promising opportunities, particularly in supporting Pakistan’s efforts to improve productivity, modernize farming practices, reduce post-harvest losses, and strengthen small and medium-scale agricultural enterprises.
The Consul General stressed that the meeting was intended as a two-way platform. Indonesian companies were encouraged not only to introduce their products, but also to listen carefully to the expectations and commercial realities faced by Pakistani buyers.
Following the opening session, participating Indonesian companies delivered short business pitches introducing their company profiles, export capabilities, product advantages, and proposed areas of cooperation.
The programme subsequently continued with simultaneous one-on-one business matching sessions organized into two main groups: coffee and cocoa, and tea and agricultural machinery. The sessions allowed Pakistani companies to directly discuss product specifications, prices, order quantities, samples, distributorship opportunities, and possible long-term cooperation with selected Indonesian exporters.
The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Karachi will continue facilitating communication between participating companies and monitoring follow-up actions arising from the meeting. Expected outcomes include requests for catalogues and price lists, product samples, quotations, further technical meetings, sourcing arrangements, distributorship inquiries, and potential commercial agreements.
The event reaffirmed the shared commitment of Indonesia and Pakistan to promote stronger, more diversified, and mutually beneficial economic relations through direct engagement between their business communities.
Indonesia and Pakistan: Stronger Together, Prosper Together.
