Working with NVIDIA's Nemotron, Indosat is bringing AI closer to communities across the archipelago

Jakarta – Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat or IOH) today announced a major step in its mission to democratize artificial intelligence across Indonesia. The initiative was introduced alongside global AI leaders during NVIDIA GTC 2026 in San Jose, California, where Indosat outlined its collaboration with NVIDIA to develop Indonesia’s next generation of AI capabilities using Nemotron open models.

This initiative reflects a simple but powerful principle: no one should be left behind in Indonesia’s AI future. By combining advanced AI models, national infrastructure, and accessible digital platforms, Indosat aims to bring the power of AI closer to everyday life, from classrooms and creative communities to businesses and public institutions across the archipelago.

To support this ambition, Indosat is also building a distributed AI Grid, transforming its nationwide data center and network infrastructure into the backbone of Indonesia’s AI ecosystem. By distributing AI computing capabilities across multiple locations, this infrastructure will bring AI resources closer to developers, enterprises, and communities throughout the country.

This approach enables faster access to AI computing power while expanding opportunities for innovation beyond major urban centers. As the AI grid grows, it is expected to accelerate the development of local AI solutions and ensure that the benefits of artificial intelligence can reach communities across the entire archipelago. On top of this infrastructure, Indosat has introduced Sahabat-AI, an app-based AI platform designed to make artificial intelligence accessible for everyday users. Available on Android and iOS, Sahabat-AI serves as both an application and an open platform that allows individuals and organizations to access a wide range of AI capabilities—from writing assistance and research to coding, image generation, and deeper analysis.

Built with the spirit of being “the Most Indonesian at Heart,” Sahabat-AI is designed to better understand how Indonesians communicate, incorporating local languages and cultural context to create a more natural and meaningful AI experience.

Vikram Sinha, President Director and Chief Executive Officer of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, said: “Indonesia’s AI future must be inclusive. No one should be left behind. By combining world-class technology such as NVIDIA’s Nemotron models with our national AI infrastructure and platforms like Sahabat-AI, we are ensuring that AI is not limited to a few cities or industries but becomes a tool that empowers communities across the entire archipelago.”

About Sahabat-AI

Sahabat-AI is an app-based AI platform designed to make artificial intelligence accessible for everyday users. Available on Android and iOS, Sahabat-AI serves as both an application and an open platform that enables individuals and organizations to access a wide range of AI capabilities—from writing assistance and research to coding, image generation, and deeper analysis. Built with the spirit of being “the Most Indonesian at Heart,” Sahabat-AI is designed to better understand how Indonesians communicate, incorporating local languages and cultural context to create a more natural, relevant, and meaningful AI experience.

Sahabat-AI is powered by a distributed AI infrastructure built on NVIDIA AI infrastructure, orchestrated through a centralized AI factory into a nationwide AI environment. This architecture enables faster response times, lower latency, and more reliable real-time experiences while improving the efficiency of AI computing. Supported by Lintasarta’s AI cloud environment, the platform allows enterprises, developers, and institutions to build and deploy AI applications locally using high-performance computing infrastructure.

Beyond serving individual users, Sahabat-AI is designed as an open platform that enables organizations to integrate services into the ecosystem through an agent-based architecture, allowing the public to access a range of digital services through a single AI-powered interface. First introduced during Indonesia AI Day 2024, the initiative has continued to evolve as part of Indonesia’s broader AI ambition. Looking ahead, Indosat is preparing the next generation of Sahabat-AI models by leveraging NVIDIA’s Nemotron open models to develop a new Indonesian large language model designed to be more efficient, adaptable, and practical for real-world applications.

The development and training of the new Indonesian AI model will take place using GPU infrastructure located within Indonesia, ensuring that both the technology and the data remain within the country. This approach strengthens Indonesia’s capabilities in building a sovereign AI ecosystem while enabling local developers, enterprises, and institutions to innovate more freely.

About Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat, IDX: ISAT) has the vision to become the most preferred digital telecommunications company in Indonesia. Together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, Indosat provides cellular services, ICT solutions, data centers, Fiber to the Home (FTTH), electronic payment services, financial services, and other digital services. Indosat has a larger purpose of empowering Indonesia, and with the spirit of Gotong Royong, Indosat wants to be the main collaborator in realizing it and creating meaningful change.