A few weeks ago, I made a 3-day business trip to Jakarta. Netcore has had a presence there for many years, but this was my first visit to the city – though I had gone to Bali on vacation many years ago. With Indigo having started a direct flight from Mumbai about a year ago, travel is much easier now – just six hours non-stop. The flights in both directions were full with what appeared to be Indonesians traveling in groups – I later realised they were going for Haj and transiting through Mumbai. In fact, on the return flight, it seemed the only Indians were in the two Emergency row seats (having paid extra for the leg room)!
While I typically prefer business class for long-haul flights, Indigo offered no such option. En route, I travelled with a colleague, so time passed quickly – we discussed many ideas without the constraint of the next meeting looming over us. On my return flight, I was alone, but my writing habit caught the attention of both the person across the aisle and the one beside me, and I found myself chatting with both. (Both were Indians; one of them positioned in Jakarta.) It’s remarkable how flights can transform strangers into friends. I gained insights about Indonesian culture and airline loyalty programs from my new acquaintances! This kind of spontaneous connection would never have happened within the siloed confines of a business class seat.
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Indonesia has a population of 280 million, making it the fourth largest in the world. Its per capita GDP stands at $5,000, roughly twice that of India. Their economic growth rate is about 5%, lower than India’s 6.5%.
For Netcore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines represent our largest South-East Asian markets. We’ve established a solid ground presence in Jakarta: a local partner and a strong team.
My three days there were packed with meetings (and evening travels battling traffic). All our meetings started punctually – we had wisely built in sufficient buffer between appointments. One aspect I particularly enjoy is meeting customers and prospects, listening to their perspectives on their business and marketing challenges. I consistently ask, “What are the top two challenges you face in your business?” The answers prove illuminating because the problems described are genuinely top of mind for the CxO. In companies where we’re seeking entry, one effective approach is to focus on solving their key problems. I generally excel at suggesting solutions that can give us a “landing” in that account.
Indonesia features several large conglomerates operating across multiple industries – much like India. Securing entry into one of these companies becomes crucial for business expansion. In my presentations, I emphasised NeoMarketing and Agentic AI concepts (especially Marketing Agents and Madtech Twins). We also showcased some compelling demos for both, which sparked productive discussions.
These conversations helped crystallise my thinking about the need for a Progency – a marketing services entity capable of solving business problems holistically. Just providing technology and tools no longer suffices; at Netcore, we need to focus on delivering outcomes – similar to what Google and Meta accomplish with adtech. While the Progency concept has been percolating in my mind for several years, the addition of Agentic AI could potentially be a game-changer.
