Indonesian telecom operator Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison is actively advancing its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. At its recent annual general meeting, the company demonstrated its strategic emphasis on embedding AI throughout its operations. This effort aims not only to boost efficiency and customer engagement but also enhances their capacity for capital allocation. The CEO, Vikram Sinha, highlighted Indosat’s “AI North Star” strategy as essential to sustaining growth and maintaining shareholder value, which includes continued dividend distribution.
Indosat’s strategy involves integrating AI more deeply into their core telecom operations. The company is also branching out into sectors like cloud computing, cybersecurity, and AI-driven services. This shift aims to transition from a conventional connectivity model to a diversified digital services approach.
Central to this strategy is a collaboration with Nvidia. This partnership focuses on developing AI infrastructure in Indonesia by employing advanced computing platforms and open AI models. This initiative supports local AI applications and the development of a sovereign AI framework.
Indosat is developing a distributed AI computing framework across Indonesia to extend AI resource accessibility beyond major urban centers. This nationwide framework aims to facilitate broader AI adoption across businesses, developers, and public sector applications.
Despite the ambitious AI integration, Indosat maintains a strong focus on financial discipline. This includes ensuring operational efficiency and sustained returns for shareholders amid challenging economic conditions.
In a previous interview with RCR Wireless News, Indosat’s Director and CTO, Desmond Cheung, elaborated on their AI transformation. He remarked that their AI-RAN Research Center is pivotal to building Indosat’s “AI Grid.” This grid connects AI hubs nationally, leveraging Indosat’s existing Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructure alongside a centralized AI factory.
Cheung emphasized the AI Grid’s capacity to handle both real-time AI processing nearer to customers and larger workloads via their central AI Data Center. This system supports diverse applications, from AI-for-RAN automation to Vision AI, and ultimately paving the way for Physical AI implementations in industrial sectors.
In July 2025, Indosat initiated a partnership with Cisco and Nvidia. This collaboration supports the creation of Indonesia’s AI Center of Excellence, underscoring the company’s commitment to scaling AI infrastructure and innovation in the region.
