Jakarta – State-owned enterprise PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara has agreed to postpone a planned purchase of 105,000 pickup trucks from India, following a request from a senior Indonesian lawmaker. The trucks were intended for apply by village cooperatives, known as Kopdes Merah Putih.
“We follow, manut saja. Whatever the decision is,” Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota, President Director of Agrinas, said Monday, according to reporting by Kompas. Mota emphasized that Agrinas’s priority is to serve the Indonesian people and the nation.
The decision to reconsider the import order comes after Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, publicly called for a delay.
Agrinas had already signed contracts with Indian manufacturers Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) Ltd and Tata Motors for the vehicles, totaling 24.66 trillion Indonesian Rupiah (approximately $1.6 billion USD). The agreement included 35,000 four-wheel-drive pickups from Mahindra, and 35,000 four-wheel-drive pickups and 35,000 six-wheel trucks from Tata Motors.
Despite the postponement request, Mota revealed that 200 pickups from Mahindra had already arrived in Indonesia, with a further shipment of 400 units scheduled. The company aimed to receive 1,000 units by the end of February, and all 35,000 Mahindra vehicles this year.
Mota highlighted the long-term nature of the procurement, noting that the vehicles were expected to remain in service for 20 to 50 years. He stated that the contracts with the Indian manufacturers included provisions to ensure consistent after-sales support and maintenance, a critical factor given the vehicles’ projected lifespan. “Buying cars isn’t like drinking a beverage, once you finish, it’s done,” he said.
Agrinas Pangan Nusantara is a state-owned company tasked with developing 80,000 retail outlets and warehouses for the Kopdes Merah Putih cooperatives.