East Java

Surabaya built Indonesia's navy. PT PAL, the nation's largest shipyard, has constructed vessels on this coast since Dutch colonial times; today it produces frigates, submarines, and commercial vessels for domestic and export markets. Add INKA in Madiun—Southeast Asia's largest railway manufacturer—and the military industries of Pindad, and East Java emerges as Indonesia's defense-industrial heartland. The same port that once shipped sugar and coffee now launches warships.

The 41.9 million residents—Indonesia's second-largest provincial population—sustain a diversified economy generating IDR 3,168 trillion in 2024 GRDP. In Gresik, Semen Indonesia and Petrokimia Gresik anchor the cement and petrochemical sectors. In Surabaya, Gudang Garam and Sampoerna roll cigarettes for a domestic market that remains among the world's largest. The Surabaya Industrial Estate Rungkut and a dozen other zones cluster manufacturing capacity. Surabaya's 10 million metropolitan residents make it the second-largest urban agglomeration in the archipelago.

By 2026, Indonesia's petrochemical ambitions—President Jokowi's goal of eliminating imports by 2027—may concentrate investment in Tuban's refinery corridor. The province grew 4.93% in 2024, but whether heavy industry can decarbonize while remaining competitive determines whether East Java's manufacturing base remains an asset or becomes a liability in Indonesia's energy transition.