PM Modi Praises Indonesian President's 'Indian DNA' Remark

PM Modi praises Indonesian president's 'Indian DNA' remark after he admires India's growth (Image/AP)

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday praised Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto for describing himself as having 'Indian DNA'. He said that the remark had won the hearts of millions of Indians and reflected the deep trust and shared heritage between the two countries. Addressing the Indian diaspora in Jakarta during his three-day state visit to Indonesia, PM Modi also thanked President Subianto for the warm welcome extended to him and said the friendship between India and Indonesia goes far beyond diplomatic ties. His remarks came after the Indonesian President once again spoke about his admiration for India, saying he had 'Indian DNA', had studied and adopted several of PM Modi's policies and considered India's democracy a model for Indonesia. In a lighthearted note president Subianto also said, "I have Indian DNA. Every time I hear Indian music, I find my body moving."

PM Modi praises President Prabowo's 'Indian DNA' remark

Speaking at the community event, PM Modi said President Subianto's comments had deeply resonated with people in India. "Mr President, you said it back then, and you have said it again today. You also mentioned at that time that you possess India's DNA. I observed that it was precisely that remark which drew the loudest applause. Even today, you won the hearts of millions of Indians with that statement; that single sentence touched the hearts of the people of India." "It is a DNA forged from mutual trust. It is a DNA built upon a shared heritage," he added. PM Modi also expressed gratitude to the Indonesian President for honouring him with Indonesia's highest civilian award earlier in the day. He dedicated the honour to the people of India and described it as a symbol of the strong friendship between the two nations. Referring to the popularity of Bollywood in Indonesia, PM Modi said he had shared a light-hearted moment with President Subianto during their meeting. "I noticed that the Bollywood song 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' is very popular here. Today, I told President Prabowo that when India and Indonesia move forward together, it goes far beyond just 'kuch kuch'; it leads to 'bahut kuch'. "Friends, this morning I had the honour of receiving Indonesia's highest civilian award. This honour belongs to 1.4 billion Indians and to all members of the Indian community. Above all, this award is another symbol of the close friendship between India and Indonesia. From this stage, I express my heartfelt gratitude to President Prabowo, the Government of Indonesia and the people of Indonesia," he said. PM Modi also thanked the Indonesian people for their affection and described President Subianto as 'a true friend of India'. "I express my heartfelt gratitude to President Prabowo for his words. Excellency, you are a true friend of India. I have been overwhelmed by the warmth and affection shown to me by the people of Indonesia. Words fall short to describe it. I saw a clear reflection of love, respect and a deep sense of connection towards India on every face," Modi said.

President Prabowo reiterates admiration for India and PM Modi

Before PM Modi's address, President Prabowo Subianto spoke to members of the Indian diaspora and highlighted the deep civilisational ties between India and Indonesia. He said Indonesia continues to learn from India's democratic institutions and development model. Recalling his earlier remarks made during his visit to India in January 2025, the Indonesian leader again said a genome sequencing test had revealed that he had 'Indian DNA'. "Just before my state visit to India, I had done the genome sequencing test and I found out that I had Indian DNA," he said, drawing loud applause from the audience. In a lighter moment, he added, "Whenever I hear Indian music, I find my body moving. Maybe most of my ministers have Indian DNA also. Most of my ministers sing Indian songs really well." President Subianto also openly acknowledged that he had studied Prime Minister Modi's governance model and adapted several of his policies for Indonesia. "I am a great admirer of Narendra Modi ji. Even before I became President, I studied the policies of the Prime Minister and because there is no copyright, I copied many of his policies. Prime Minister Modi graciously allowed me to copy his policies," he said. He further praised India's democratic system, saying Indonesia closely studies India's election process and peaceful transfer of power. "We are the two largest democracies in the world. We are very closely learning from the Election Commission of India. This is a remarkable achievement. I myself also study this and follow the remarkable achievements of India," he said. President Subianto had made similar remarks during his state visit to India earlier this year, when he attended the Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest. At the time, he had also spoken about his 'Indian DNA', praised India's civilisational influence on Indonesia and described Prime Minister Modi's efforts to uplift the poor as an inspiration. PM Modi is currently on a three-nation visit where during the first leg of his trip he travelled to Indonesia. He will also visit Australia and New Zealand.

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