AGP Executive Report

BRICS Summit (India chairship): Leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, pushing UN Security Council reform, stronger Global South participation, and local-currency trade plus payment links, while calling for maximum restraint in West Asia and reaffirming seafarer safety. AI & tech governance: BRICS is positioning itself as a rule-shaper for sovereign AI, with experts praising India’s role in steering AI cooperation and digital sovereignty. Finance & payments: BRICS members discussed cross-border payment interoperability and expanding access to settlement infrastructure to reduce dollar-centric dependence. Climate & energy: The declaration backs just energy transitions and says fossil fuels still matter for developing economies, while opposing the EU’s carbon border tax and emphasizing adaptation funding. Indonesia angle: Indonesia’s Prabowo backed BRICS resilience goals, and Indonesia–India coordination continues on orangutan repatriation of five cubs from Odisha. ASEAN logistics: ASEAN’s oil stockpile study is progressing toward completion by November, with Indonesia among key supporters.

Global Governance Push at BRICS: India’s PM Narendra Modi opened the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, urging the “Global South” to become a “rule-shaper” and proposing a 10-point reform roadmap focused on representation, responsiveness, and rule-making. Consensus Declaration: BRICS leaders unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026 after late-night talks, including bridging Iran–UAE differences, with concerns over unilateral tariffs and non-tariff barriers and calls for conflict prevention. Indonesia at the Table: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended as a full BRICS member, joining leaders discussing trade, food security, energy, and development financing. Tech & Payments Angle: India also pushed for digital public infrastructure and cooperation on fintech, AI, and knowledge-sharing, while Modi floated a BRICS continuity mechanism using a Troika system plus a secure digital repository to track decisions. Science Spotlight: Separate coverage highlights Sulawesi evidence suggesting humans used psychoactive betel nuts at least 25,000 years ago. Indonesia Earthquake: A 6.2-magnitude deep-focus quake struck Java (376 km depth), with no immediate damage reports.

Earthquake Watch (Indonesia): A magnitude 6.2 quake hit Java at about 376km depth, with no immediate damage or casualties reported, as Indonesia’s volcano-filled geography keeps testing disaster readiness. Wildlife & Conservation: In Central Kalimantan, an orangutan reportedly stole a film crew’s boat at Camp Leakey, leaving them stranded before paddling away—another reminder of how close research sites are to real animal “plot twists.” Climate Outlook (El Niño): The US Climate Prediction Center says El Niño is strengthening toward a possible “Super El Niño,” with knock-on impacts for rainfall and extremes across regions, including Indonesia’s fire-and-smoke risk. Maritime Safety: With Strait of Hormuz tensions disrupting shipping, the IMO says thousands of seafarers are affected and mental health is a growing concern amid unsafe, uncertain conditions. Digital Policy (Indonesia): Indonesia clarified its SPP-TDLN digital VAT system is meant to complement existing VAT collection, not create double taxation. Industry & Tech (Indonesia): GIFA Indonesia and METEC Indonesia returned in Jakarta, adding an Aluminum Pavilion to speed downstream metallurgy and foundry tech adoption. Cybersecurity (EU signal): The EU’s Cyber Resilience push puts more responsibility on digital product makers—relevant for Indonesia’s tech ecosystem as compliance expectations rise. BRICS Diplomacy (Global, with Indonesia): India’s BRICS summit in New Delhi is drawing major leaders, with Indonesia’s presence tied to trade, payments, and tech cooperation themes.

Indonesia Tech & Science: Indonesia’s cocoa push gets a boost as the Agriculture Ministry targets rejuvenating 247,260 hectares of smallholder plantations (2025–2027) to lift yields and speed downstreaming. Digital Skills: The education ministry says STEAM learning helps SMK vocational students stay employable as AI, data literacy, and XR reshape jobs. Climate & Earth Observation: ISRO’s Oceansat-3 data analysis links El Niño to a decline in equatorial Pacific marine productivity, a reminder of how climate shifts can ripple into food and weather. Cybersecurity: Indonesia faces a fresh wave of Android banking app-cloning scams, while researchers also flag new malware activity targeting mobile users. Energy & Risk: Oil jumped above $100 a barrel amid Middle East tensions, raising the odds of higher fuel and broader inflation pressure. BRICS Business & Payments: At the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi, Piyush Goyal urged members to link payment systems and expand UPI reach to cut trade friction and support local-currency deals. Geopolitics Watch: With the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea under strain, analysts warn instability could hit shipping, insurance, and everyday costs across Asia and ASEAN. Indonesia-Global Links: Indonesia seeks US partnership to expand its creative economy exports, including film/TV cooperation and IP protection.

Child Safety & Regulation: Indonesia’s communications ministry is pressing Meta to fully implement its PP TUNAS child-protection rules after a US ruling, warning that written commitments aren’t yet translating into real protections and hinting at administrative fines. Mobile Banking Security: Indonesia is seeing early testing of an Android banking malware method that abuses Google Work Profile to evade checks, with Group-IB estimating about $1M in losses from infections and compromised logins. AI Readiness: Indonesia’s deputy minister says the country has the core ingredients for advanced AI—connectivity, talent, and regulation—while pushing for faster fiber and wider 5G rollout. Cyber Threats: Researchers report malicious Chrome/Firefox extensions and AI-assisted exploit activity targeting PaperCut systems, showing how attackers chain access and automation. Climate & Wildfires: NASA and Copernicus reporting highlights Indonesia’s peat fires releasing unusually high emissions, with underground smoldering extending the damage. Digital Finance & Crypto: Coinfest Asia 2026 spotlights Indonesia’s digital-asset ambitions as OJK develops stablecoin and tokenization frameworks. Industry & Engineering: IEE Series 2026 (Engineering Week) opens in Jakarta to connect industrial sectors on infrastructure, resilience, and industrial transformation. Geopolitics Tech Angle (BRICS): As BRICS convenes in New Delhi, India pushes Global South priorities like food, energy, and resilient supply chains—amid major security and policy coordination.

Digital Connectivity & Trust: Indonesia’s comms ministry says ASEAN must speed up rural connectivity with open-access terrestrial and satellite infrastructure, plus spectrum and collaboration to keep services viable. AI in Media: Indonesia warns journalists about “data poisoning” when AI is used without on-the-ground checks, pushing for ethical AI use to curb misinformation. Health Tech: RSCM in Jakarta performs Indonesia’s first remote gynecologic surgery via telerobotics, linking Jakarta and Bali over 1,000 km. Wildlife Crime Online: Philippines steps up action against illegal Indonesian parrots, noting the internet has replaced old physical hubs like Cartimar. Climate & Risk: A study ranks city readiness for climate disasters, highlighting big gaps between hazard exposure and adaptive capacity. BRICS Watch: India hosts the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi with Xi Jinping attending; Indonesia’s Prabowo is also expected as leaders focus on resilience, innovation, and cooperation. Payments: PhonePe and Visa roll out cardless payment tools (Tap to Pay, Scan to Pay) for India and select cross-border markets. Volcano Disruption: Anak Krakatau continues to disrupt flights and airport operations across Indonesia.

BRICS Diplomacy: Philippines President Marcos will attend the Sept. 12-13 BRICS summit in New Delhi, joining the bloc as ASEAN chair—another sign Southeast Asia is trying to engage major economies beyond the West. Digital Fraud & AI: Yogyakarta’s Sultan fell for a deepfake financial scam, with officials warning that AI-manipulated videos are still fooling people online. Public Health: A global study estimates 1.66M deaths tied to secondhand smoke in 2023, with Southeast Asia among the hardest-hit regions. Security Cooperation: Malaysia’s home minister says transnational crime networks are moving across borders faster than enforcement can, citing a joint case involving drug smuggling across Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Indonesia Tech & Infrastructure: Nvidia-backed AI infrastructure financing in Indonesia reaches up to $3.1B for GPU and cloud buildout, targeting 100MW first and scaling toward 1GW. Ancient Science: Research on Sulawesi fossils suggests humans used mind-altering betel nut as far back as 25,000 years ago, reshaping what we know about early drug habits.

Renewables & Solar Manufacturing: Midsummer and PT Metalogika plan a thin-film flexible solar panel joint venture in Indonesia, starting with 20MW/year capacity and aiming to scale to 200MW and potentially gigawatt levels, with Midsummer supplying its DUO production system and taking a minority stake. AI for Industry Safety: MIND ID says it’s using AI across mining operations, including a fatigue-management system that detects drowsiness and safety gear compliance to prevent workplace incidents. Digital Trust & Anti-Scam: ASEAN should set up a regional anti-scam intelligence exchange so regulators, banks, telcos, enforcement, and platforms can share signals fast to disrupt fraud. Higher Education Funding: Indonesia’s higher education minister urges state universities to create zakat collection units (UPZ) to channel philanthropic funds for students, with BAZNAS projecting Rp220B/year potential. Wildfire Science & Health: Indonesia’s 2026 wildfires, intensified by super El Niño, are driving record emissions and severe smoke impacts across Borneo and Sumatra, with respiratory risks rising. Payments & Tech Training: Trade minister Budi Santoso pushes AI training for MSMEs to reach global buyers, alongside Meta-backed programs. Data Centres in the Region: PwC forecasts Singapore data-centre investment could hit US$19.2B by 2050, with Indonesia and neighbors collectively projected to attract about US$1.29T from 2026-2050.

AI & Digital Governance: Indonesia and the US are expanding cooperation on AI and child online protection, with Jakarta pushing a risk-based AI governance framework to keep innovation moving while improving safety and trust. Energy & Grid Tech: Bidgely will demo AI-driven smart meter analytics at Enlit Asia 2026 in Jakarta, aiming to cut bill shock, detect energy theft, and improve grid planning using interval data. Climate & Nature Under Pressure: Indonesia’s Singkil peat swamp is being cleared and drained despite legal protection, raising fire risk and threatening orangutan habitat. Volcano Disruption: Anak Krakatau’s renewed activity keeps travel messy; Soekarno-Hatta has reopened but aircraft need mandatory airworthiness checks before normal schedules return. Space Tech: SpaceX’s Starship 40 recovery is underway after a splashdown survived intact, with return to Texas expected to take months. Global Tech Watch: Meta launched Muse, an AI agent that can access connected apps to handle tasks like emails, shopping, and payments—while internal testers raised reliability and privacy concerns. Green Investment Push: Indonesia is steering investment toward green industries and ESG-aligned financing, including circular economy and green transport, to support the energy transition.

Volcano & Aviation Disruption: Jakarta airports reopened after Anak Krakatau ash forced a two-day closure, with Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma back online and other airports resuming gradually as officials keep a conservative stance while monitoring ash movement. Volcano Monitoring Update: Indonesia’s Geological Agency says Anak Krakatau has returned to a typical Strombolian phase with short, moderate eruptions and no sign of crater-wall shifting that could trigger a landslide. Energy Tech for Utilities: Bidgely will demo AI smart-meter analytics at Enlit Asia 2026 in Jakarta (Sept 22–24), targeting bill-shock reduction, detection of non-technical losses, and better grid planning. Payments Partnership: Adyen is powering Limitless Technology Group’s gifting e-commerce payments across Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, plus cross-border transactions including Indonesia, consolidating gateways to speed rollout. Crypto Market Data: Treno Scope launched a liquidity analysis module and started an Indonesia-focused liquidity benchmark study to assess real tradable liquidity beyond just trading volume. Policy & Productivity: Bappenas highlights the need to boost productivity, innovation, human capital, industrial capacity, and resilient institutions—not just chase headline growth. Education & Health: A Lancet study reports a ~50% rise in India’s passive-smoking deaths since 1990, while Indonesia’s waste management ministry says only a quarter of daily waste is properly managed.

Volcano Disruption: Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau eruption kept major airports shut and stranded hundreds of thousands, with Soekarno-Hatta and other hubs extending closures as ash lingered and flight operations were repeatedly delayed. Disaster Tech & Response: President Prabowo ordered more aircraft and heavy-lift drones for forest-fire mitigation, plus more locally stationed firefighting gear to hit outbreaks earlier. Energy & Industry: China-led firms are taking a big role in Indonesia’s waste-to-energy push, as the government targets far higher waste processing rates by 2029. Digital Security: FATF warns that “digital hawala” is evolving, blending encrypted messaging and virtual assets to support money laundering and, in some cases, terrorist financing. Wearables Watch: Garmin CIRQA smart ring filings in Indonesia and Taiwan suggest a possible new smart ring lineup in multiple sizes. Climate Outlook: NOAA confirmed a very strong El Niño, with forecasts updated using a relative ocean index that aims to better separate natural swings from background warming. Indigenous Data: Indonesia is integrating data on 3,857 Indigenous communities to improve recognition and make customary territory maps more usable for spatial planning and permitting.

Volcano Disruption: Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau eruption forced the cancellation of all flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta and led to broader airport shutdowns as ash drifted over western regions; authorities kept schools in affected areas shifting to online classes while AirNav Indonesia detected ash in multiple airspaces. Aviation Resilience: Experts warned that even after reopening, flight schedules may take time to normalize due to aircraft/crew repositioning and passenger backlogs, with routes like Singapore–Jakarta hit hardest. Disaster Preparedness: President Prabowo called for a major boost to Indonesia’s disaster mitigation budget, urging more helicopters, water pumps, fire equipment, and village-level machinery ahead of earthquakes, wildfires, and volcanic activity. Energy & Climate Risk: The UN warned El Niño is intensifying into a “supersized” event through early 2027, raising risks of floods, droughts, and extreme heat that could disrupt food and energy systems. Tech & Industry: Wood Mackenzie says Asia’s data-centre boom is set to drive LNG demand in Southeast Asia, while South Asia remains harder to reach—an important signal for Indonesia’s energy planning. Waste-to-Energy Push: Indonesia is developing a national WtE ecosystem with international partners, with Chinese firms winning early tender sites and emphasizing faster delivery.

Volcanic Disruption: Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau erupted early Sunday, forcing the closure of Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta and seven other airports, cancelling hundreds of flights and stranding roughly 150,000–170,000 passengers as ash spread over Jakarta, Lampung, and parts of Java/Sumatra; authorities urged people to stay away from the crater and discussed options like cloud-seeding to clear ash. AI & Security: Kaspersky says AI adoption across APAC is pushing firms to raise cyber spending and tighten controls, with “shadow AI” and new AI-related risks driving governance changes. Climate Watch: El Niño is expected to intensify and persist into early 2027, reshaping rainfall and temperature patterns across the region. Digital Economy: Thailand paused construction of 49 data centres after complaints about a facility near a hospital exposed a regulatory gap, with new oversight rules expected soon. Policy & Talent: Indonesia’s limited dual-citizenship plan is gaining diaspora support, targeting scientists, engineers, AI experts, and researchers to help fill national capability gaps.

Volcano Disruption: Anak Krakatau’s eruption has stranded 150,000+ passengers and shut six Indonesian airports, with Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta among the first to close as ash drifted; authorities reported 467 flights affected and urged faster refunds plus mask use for ash exposure. Aviation Safety & Monitoring: BMKG says there are no sea-level anomalies near the Sunda Strait, while ash dispersion is being tracked with multi-instrument monitoring to guide airport and public guidance. University Response: Indonesia’s Higher Education ministry asked universities to mobilize health, engineering, environmental, disaster and psychology experts, activate campus standby posts, and shift outdoor activities online/hybrid. Biotech & Supply Chains: Australian biotech Uluu is partnering with South Sulawesi seaweed farmers to build a traceable, certified supply chain for seaweed-based materials, using digital origin tracking. Media & Tech Governance: Asia-Pacific media leaders in Shenzhen backed the “Shenzhen Consensus,” forming an Asia-Pacific Media Partnership committee and pushing responsible coverage amid rapid digital transformation. AI Access Gap: A report on South African news sites highlights how most outlets don’t block AI scrapers—Indonesia’s early figures are cited as rising but still low. Diplomacy: Jokowi called for a “UN 2.0” at the Penang Peace Dialogue, arguing conflicts are interconnected and global institutions need reform.

AI Geopolitics: A Reuters report says the US may tighten its Pax Silica stance as China’s WAICO grows, raising stakes for how countries access AI chips and infrastructure. GovTech for Welfare: Indonesia’s Luhut says GovTech data integration could cut misdirected social aid from 77.6% to below 10%, with a single digital ID targeted by end-2026. Public Health Tech & Trials: BPOM urges pharma firms to build a stronger clinical trial ecosystem in Indonesia, pushing collaboration across regulators, hospitals, and research groups. Cyber & Kids Online: UNICEF highlights 1 in 5 children (12–17) facing online sexual abuse, with Southeast Asia among the highest-exposure regions. Environment & Health: Indonesian haze from wildfires continues to choke neighbors, while El Niño conditions are intensifying fire risk and respiratory impacts. Space Tech: China’s 30-satellite 3D network aims to monitor solar activity and cislunar space, with Indonesia listed among participants. Energy/Industry: Indonesia’s nickel tightening shifts the market question to whether refineries can secure compliant feedstock. Defense Comms: Fort Carson troops run Super Garuda Shield 2026 in Indonesia, training across cyber and communications tech.

Clinical Trials Push: Indonesia’s BPOM urged pharma firms to build a stronger clinical trial ecosystem, calling for tighter collaboration across regulators, hospitals, and research facilities to boost local medicine and medical-device self-reliance. AI for Public Benefit: Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid promoted “Meaningful AI,” stressing measurable gains for society like better public services, inclusion, and resilience against cyber and climate threats. Haze Crisis: Wildfire smoke from Indonesia is choking parts of Southeast Asia, with Malaysia declaring an emergency in Sarawak’s Serian district and schools and offices closing as air quality hits hazardous levels. Forest Enforcement: President Prabowo ordered firm, transparent enforcement in forest areas, including action against illegal mining and updated developments expected in September. BRICS Justice Tech: India’s CJI Surya Kant used the BRICS Chief Justices’ Forum to back cross-border mediation/arbitration and highlighted using AI to improve judicial efficiency. Cybersecurity: Panzer ransomware surfaced as a Ransomware-as-a-Service operation, listing 16 alleged victims across 11 countries including Indonesia. Tech & Trade Links: Jakarta and China’s Guangdong discussed MSME empowerment and urban water management cooperation, including smart metering and reducing non-revenue water.