West Java
Indonesia's 'Detroit'—50M+ population, 60% of national manufacturing; 8,239 factories, Rp 2,823T GRDP; Japanese automakers dominant but Chinese EVs rising.
West Java is Indonesia's most populous province—over 50 million people, 18% of the national population—and its industrial core. Sixty percent of Indonesian manufacturing operates here, concentrated in the corridor between Jakarta and Bandung. The industrial estates of Bekasi, Karawang, and Purwakarta constitute what observers call the 'Detroit of Indonesia': the production base where Toyota, Honda, Daihatsu, and their suppliers assemble the vehicles that Indonesian consumers increasingly demand.
Japanese manufacturers dominate with roughly 90% market share, led by Toyota at 32%. But Chinese brands—BYD, Chery, Wuling—have grown from nearly zero to 10% in just a few years, and the trajectory is accelerating. In 2024, Indonesia produced 1.196 million vehicles with retail sales of 1.014 million units. The province's 8,239 medium and large manufacturing companies generated Rp 2,823 trillion in GRDP, growing 4.95% in 2024.
By 2026, the electric vehicle transition may test this automotive concentration. Japanese manufacturers built their Indonesian position on internal combustion engines; Chinese competitors enter with EV expertise. Whether West Java's supply chains adapt—or find themselves stranded by the same low-cost advantage they once exploited—depends on how quickly the province's manufacturing base can retool for batteries, motors, and new architectures.