Indonesia eyes global wellness leadership through jamu industry

Indonesia has great potential to become a global wellness hub.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya stated that traditional Indonesian herbal medicine, jamu, as a national heritage-based intellectual property, has the potential to create added economic value and strengthen Indonesia’s competitiveness in the global market.

"Jamu must continue to develop by strengthening its brand, IP, and intellectual property rights, so that it has added value and provides a real economic impact for its entire ecosystem," Harsya said in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday.

He stated that jamu is no longer viewed solely as a traditional herbal drink but has evolved into a part of the modern lifestyle and is present in various creative economy spaces, from cafes, hotels, and shopping centers to wellness-based tourist destinations.

This shift toward healthy lifestyle trends opens up significant opportunities for herbal medicine-based products to reach a wider market.

Harsya stated that strengthening storytelling, branding, promotion, networking, market access, and funding is essential to encourage herbal medicine entrepreneurs to increase their competitiveness and expand their reach internationally.

"Indonesia has great potential to become a global wellness hub. We have a strong jamu tradition, abundant spices, and a rich culture of health and well-being," Harsya said.

"The challenge is how to package this potential professionally through collaboration among business actors, academics, media organizations, associations, and financial institutions so that we can compete effectively in the global market," he added.

Harsya believes that Indonesia possesses strong foundations to emerge as a global center for the wellness industry, supported by its vast biodiversity of spices, long standing herbal healing traditions, and a culture of health practices passed down through generations.

To help realize this vision, the Ministry of Creative Economy is strengthening cross-sector collaboration with the Indonesian Herbal Medicine Council (DJI) in developing wellness-based creative economy subsectors through the 2026 Jamu International Conference and Expo (JICE), scheduled to take place in October.

These efforts are expected to boost exports, attract investment, create high quality employment opportunities, and increase the creative economy’s contribution to national and regional economic growth.

The collaboration is also expected to broaden the promotion of Indonesian jamu and further strengthen its position in the global wellness market.

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Translator: Fitra Ashari, Cindy Frishanti Octavia

Editor: M Razi Rahman

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