Jakarta – June 10 has been officially designated as National Entrepreneurship Day, marking a historic milestone and a special gift for the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI), which this year celebrates its 53rd anniversary.

Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Anindya Novyan Bakrie, welcomed the formal establishment of National Entrepreneurship Day, an initiative that has been in progress since the previous year.

He described the moment as a symbol of the long-standing efforts of young entrepreneurs across Indonesia.

“Today is a meaningful day, with June 10 now officially recognized as National Entrepreneurship Day. This is the first anniversary. It reflects a long journey—HIPMI’s 53-year journey to reach this point,” said Anindya, affectionately known as Anin, during the commemoration event at SMESCO Convention & Exhibition Hall on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

Anin stressed that entrepreneurship is not limited to large corporations but also belongs to the millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that dominate the national economy.

“As was mentioned earlier, entrepreneurs are not only large business owners but also small and medium ones. And being small or medium doesn’t mean they will always stay that way,” Anin noted.

He highlighted that Indonesia is currently home to around 60 million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which serve as the backbone of the national economy. He also emphasized the importance of government programs to help MSMEs scale up.

“There are 60 million MSMEs, which truly represent the backbone of Indonesia’s economy. If I’m not mistaken, total funding has reached IDR 300 trillion. Then there’s the People’s Business Credit (KUR) program, approximately IDR 250 trillion, and the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, another IDR 200 trillion. With all this support, our MSME community can not only grow but also level up,” Anin affirmed.

Meanwhile, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) of the Republic of Indonesia and Honorary Chairman of HIPMI’s Central Executive Board (BPP), Bahlil Lahadalia, emphasized that the decision to declare June 10 as National Entrepreneurship Day was not made without careful consideration.

“June 10 was chosen for a reason—it’s the same day HIPMI was founded. There is no way our country can progress if the number of entrepreneurs remains low. We need patriotic, nationalist entrepreneurs,” said Bahlil.

He noted that this statement aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s direction, which calls on Indonesian entrepreneurs to embrace nationalism in conducting their business.

“This reflects President Prabowo’s call for entrepreneurs to become true nationalists. It’s the MSMEs that serve as the front line of our economic defense—not the large corporations. MSMEs are, in my view, the foundation of our national economy,” he added.

HIPMI Chairman Akbar Himawan Buchari expressed his gratitude during the first-ever commemoration of National Entrepreneurship Day, describing it as the culmination of a long journey for the organization.

“Today, we are blessed with health and the opportunity to gather here to commemorate National Entrepreneurship Day, which coincides with HIPMI’s 53rd anniversary,” said Akbar.

He added that this year’s celebration felt particularly special, as it marked the first time HIPMI’s anniversary was celebrated on a national scale.

“It brings me great joy that, on the first National Entrepreneurship Day, the entire HIPMI family can come together to celebrate. This year’s anniversary is different—it’s being observed nationally for the first time. This has been a long and meaningful journey,” he remarked.

The National Entrepreneurship Day commemoration was also attended by several high-ranking government officials, including Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and Minister of Cooperatives and MSMEs Maman Abdurrahman.