By Sami Ahmed
TradeTrend
Published: Sept 11, 2026
KARACHI, Sep 11, 2026: Indonesia is seeking to expand its healthcare business in Pakistan as the two countries develop cooperation in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, vaccine manufacturing and health technology.
The initiative is being led through the Indonesian Medica pavilion at Health Asia Expo & Conference 2026, where Indonesia is the Country Partner of the three-day exhibition at the Karachi Expo Centre from September 10 to 12.
23ویں ہیلتھ ایشیا نمائش کا افتتاح کیا اور مختلف اسٹالز کا دورہ کیا، طبی و صحت کے شعبے سے وابستہ جدید مصنوعات اور سہولیات کا جائزہ لیا اور نمائش میں شریک نمائندگان سے ملاقات کی!!!#MustafaKamal #HealthMinister #HealthAsia #PakistanHealthcare #HealthForAll #Pakistan@WHO @UNICEF… pic.twitter.com/tDjupS94KG
— Syed Mustafa Kamal (@KamalMQM) September 11, 2026
The push comes against the backdrop of a sizeable bilateral trading relationship. Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade data shows that bilateral merchandise trade reached about $4.26 billion in 2025, with Indonesian exports to Pakistan at approximately $4.11 billion and imports from Pakistan at about $143 million.
During January-July 2026, Indonesian exports to Pakistan stood at about $2.08 billion, while imports from Pakistan were around $85 million, putting merchandise trade at roughly $2.17 billion in the first seven months of the year.
The figures also highlight a substantial trade imbalance, with Indonesian exports accounting for most of the bilateral merchandise trade.
Health Cooperation Moves Beyond Policy
Healthcare has increasingly become part of the economic relationship. In June 2025, Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services said the two countries were exploring cooperation in vaccine production, pharmaceutical development, medical institutions and health-sector personnel exchanges. Pakistan also sought Indonesian technical expertise for establishing vaccine-production capacity, including technology and knowledge transfer.
The cooperation was subsequently formalised at the government level. During Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Pakistan in December 2025, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on health cooperation. Their joint statement identified healthcare services, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, digital health, pandemic preparedness, vaccine manufacturing, disease prevention and control, and women and child health among areas for cooperation.
The two sides also discussed the exchange of medical professionals, mutual recognition of medical qualifications and specialised training.
Vaccine Manufacturing Creates A Practical Test
The health relationship has continued to produce concrete engagement in 2026. In January, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal visited Indonesia and met representatives of Bio Farma, Indonesia’s state-owned vaccine manufacturer. Pakistan’s health ministry said the discussions focused on vaccine manufacturing and technology transfer between Bio Farma and Pakistan’s National Institute of Health.
By June, Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services said it was working to finalise an agreement with Indonesia on vaccine production. The ministry described Indonesia as Pakistan’s leading partner in vaccine-manufacturing cooperation and directed relevant authorities to accelerate the regulatory and technical work for local production.
The vaccine initiative illustrates a potential shift from importing finished healthcare products toward technology transfer and domestic production.
Indonesia Looks Beyond Conventional Exports
The Indonesian Medica pavilion provides a commercial platform for that wider engagement. The Consulate General of Indonesia in Karachi has facilitated the participation of the Indonesian Medical Device Ecosystem Development Association (HIPELKI) and companies including PT Sugih Instrumento Abadi, PT Ocean Medica and PT Eagle Indo Pharma, known for its Cap Lang products.
The exhibitors are showcasing medical devices, healthcare and hospital-related products, as well as consumer health and wellness products.
Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal inaugurated Health Asia 2026 and later visited the Indonesian Medica pavilion, where he joined Indonesian Consul General in Karachi Mudzakir for a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony.
During the visit, Kamal appreciated Pakistan-Indonesia cooperation in the health sector, while Mudzakir thanked the minister for visiting the pavilion.
The Indonesian Consulate said its objective was to connect Indonesian companies with potential Pakistani business partners rather than simply promote products.
“We want Indonesian companies not simply to exhibit products, but to understand the Pakistani market, meet the right partners and build sustainable business relationships,” Mudzakir said.
He said Pakistan’s demand for imported medical devices, together with efforts to encourage local manufacturing and import substitution, could create opportunities for Indonesian companies in distribution, technology cooperation, production machinery and joint manufacturing.
Medical-Device Industries Build Direct Links
The initiative also includes direct engagement between industry associations. Ahead of Health Asia 2026, the Indonesian Consulate facilitated engagement between HIPELKI and the Healthcare Devices Association of Pakistan (HDAP).
HDAP represents around 300 importers and manufacturers in Pakistan, while HIPELKI brings together approximately 250 companies and stakeholders from Indonesia’s medical-device sector. The two associations provide a channel for manufacturers, importers and other industry participants to identify commercial and industrial partnerships.
“Our objective is practical: turn meetings into connections, connections into business leads, and business leads into trade and industrial partnerships,” Mudzakir said.
The Consulate General plans to continue facilitating targeted meetings between Indonesian exhibitors and Pakistani companies during the exhibition and follow up on the contacts afterwards.
A Commercial Relationship Takes Shape
There is already a recent commercial precedent for Indonesian healthcare-sector engagement with Pakistani buyers.
At Trade Expo Indonesia 2025, a Pakistani buyer delegation from Sindh concluded trade agreements worth $22.9 million with Indonesian exporters. Indonesia’s Consulate General in Karachi said the agreements covered several sectors, including pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. The earlier deals provide a commercial context for the business-to-business outreach at Health Asia 2026.
The healthcare initiative is also part of a wider investment agenda. During the February 2026 visit to Pakistan by Indonesian Investment and Downstream Industry Minister and Danantara CEO Rosan Roeslani, the two countries agreed to promote investment cooperation in health, digital infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture and connectivity.
The visit followed President Prabowo’s December 2025 trip, when the two governments discussed expanding trade and investment ties and identified opportunities for greater economic cooperation.
From Trade To Industrial Cooperation
For Indonesian companies, Pakistan offers a market for medical devices, pharmaceuticals and healthcare products, alongside potential partnerships in distribution, technology and local production.
For Pakistan, cooperation with Indonesian manufacturers could create opportunities for technology transfer, vaccine production, pharmaceutical development and medical-device manufacturing.
The structure of bilateral trade adds another consideration. With Indonesian exports to Pakistan substantially exceeding Pakistani exports to Indonesia, investment and local production could provide another channel for expanding the economic relationship beyond finished-goods trade.
Whether the current initiatives result in sustained investment and local manufacturing will depend on regulatory approvals, commercial viability, technology-transfer arrangements and the ability of companies to convert exhibition contacts into longer-term partnerships.
Health Asia 2026 provides a practical platform for testing whether government-level commitments in healthcare can translate into commercial partnerships, technology cooperation and investment in Pakistan’s healthcare industry.
