The Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Komdigi) has launched the country’s AI Centre of Excellence, aimed at accelerating Indonesia’s capabilities in artificial intelligence through a strategic collaboration with Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat), Cisco and NVIDIA.
The initiative is built on a foundation of sovereign infrastructure powered by NVIDIA’s advanced AI platforms, secured by Cisco’s intelligent network technology, and enabled through Indosat’s extensive reach and digital expertise. The Centre reflects a national push to foster AI innovation and talent development across public and private sectors.
Strengthening AI infrastructure and sovereignty
At the core of the AI Centre of Excellence is the creation of Indonesia’s first sovereign AI infrastructure, designed to support large-scale, high-performance workloads with strong data governance. Indosat, through its AI Factory Lintasarta, will become the first organisation in Southeast Asia to deploy the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72, built for generative AI and high-performance computing (HPC).
Cisco will underpin the initiative with secure, intelligent network infrastructure, including Indonesia’s first deployment of Splunk and its own managed security services. These capabilities will be integrated into a Sovereign Security Operations Centre (SOC) Cloud Platform, supporting local data control, AI-powered threat detection, and compliance with national regulations.
“This collaboration proves that digital sovereignty can be built together. We want Indonesia to be more than just a technology market—we want it to be a home for innovation and the creation of AI technologies that are relevant to the nation’s needs,” said Meutya Hafid, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs.
Promoting inclusive access and digital skills
A key goal of the Centre is to democratise AI access for all Indonesians, using Indosat’s mobile network infrastructure to reach rural and urban populations alike. By 2027, the Centre aims to enable access to AI for hundreds of millions across the country.
In parallel, the initiative seeks to build a digitally skilled workforce. NVIDIA will contribute through its AI Technology Centre, startup incubation via the Inception programme, and education through its Deep Learning Institute. Cisco will support training efforts through the Cisco Networking Academy, with a target of equipping 500,000 Indonesians with networking, security and AI skills by 2030. In total, the programme aims to train one million people by 2027.
“At Indosat, we believe AI must be a force for inclusion—not just in access, but in opportunity,” said Vikram Sinha, President Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison. “This initiative will translate into a commitment to develop talent, build national capabilities, and shape a future where Indonesia leads in AI—not follows.”
Supporting startups, industry, and policy
The AI Centre of Excellence is structured around six institutional pillars: a secure AI sandbox for real-world industry use cases; certification training programmes; a startup accelerator; an enterprise hub for collaborative solutions; a platform to develop national large language models; and a national think tank to guide responsible AI policy development.
“Democratising AI is more important than ever,” said Ronnie Vasishta, Senior Vice President of Telecom at NVIDIA. “Through strategic collaborations, developer enablement and wireless infrastructure guidance, we’re helping Indonesia build a sustainable AI ecosystem that will help to create a blueprint for how nations can harness AI to uplift every citizen.”
Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco, added, “The AI era demands fundamental architectural shifts and a workforce with the digital skills to thrive. Together with Indosat, NVIDIA, and Komdigi, Cisco will securely power the AI Centre of Excellence—enabling innovation, skills development, and accelerating Indonesia’s economic growth.”
By linking government, global technology leaders, and local talent, the Centre of Excellence positions Indonesia as a serious contender in the global AI race. Komdigi’s initiative not only sets out to advance national competitiveness, but also to establish a sustainable, secure and inclusive digital future.
