Indonesia opens premium markets to local creative entrepreneurs

Collaboration between the Ministry of Creative Economy and stakeholders is key to supporting this ecosystem,Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency is pushing to expand market access for local creative entrepreneurs, enabling them to compete in premium locations such as SCBD Park and strengthening the broader creative economy ecosystem.

Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar praised The Local Market ID: Pasar Wiwitan SCBD at SCBD Park, saying local brands and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can thrive in premium spaces while promoting products rooted in local materials and cultural heritage.

“SCBD is often seen as too premium for MSMEs, but today proves otherwise. Entrepreneurs have gathered to showcase and sell outstanding products based on local materials and traditional knowledge,” Irene said in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Monday.

Irene invited the public to strengthen the foundation of the national economy by taking pride in buying and using domestic products.

She said President Prabowo Subianto had called for cross-sector collaboration to advance Indonesian creative products. The collaborative space created by the Ministry of Creative Economy, The Local Market, and SCBD serves as a platform for local creators to expand their market access sustainably.

The potential of local products to strengthen the creative economy as a driver of national growth is reflected in data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), as processed by the Ministry of Creative Economy.

Fashion, crafts, and culinary products recorded the largest creative economy export values in January-April 2026, reaching US$5.85 billion, US$3.82 billion, and US$280 million, respectively.

The three subsectors also served as the main contributors to the creative economy in 2025, accounting for 41.06 percent for culinary products, 14.77 percent for fashion, and 10.70 percent for crafts.

“Collaboration between the Ministry of Creative Economy and stakeholders is key to supporting this ecosystem, so that we can continue to return to our cultural roots and preserve traditional knowledge passed down through generations,” Irene said.

The Local Market ID is held on the first weekend of every month as a free-entry creative market.

The latest series began with the Aug. 1-2, 2026 edition and continued with the Sept. 5-6 edition, bringing together the government, curators, public space providers, and creative economy entrepreneurs in a hexahelix collaboration model.

The program, initiated by PT Ku Ka Aku Suka, which operates The Local Market ID, together with the Ministry of Creative Economy and Creative Event Entertainment (CEE), with support from Artha Graha Group, features more than 200 curated tenants offering culinary products, crafts, fashion, antiques, workshops, and live music performances to promote creativity and preserve Indonesia’s cultural heritage.

CEE Director Ananta Pribadi said the program helps position SCBD not only as a business hub, but also as a center for creative and cultural activities.

Participating tenants from various creative economy subsectors included Allysia, KASI Living, Saiya, Lyka, Habitat Park, Goodthings, and the Artha Graha Peduli Pavilion.

Angela, co-founder of Goodthings and one of the participating brands, said the event had a significant impact on creative businesses, including generating up to Rp14 million in sales during the two-day August edition, increasing social media followers, encouraging repeat purchases, and connecting brands with new customer segments.

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