Busworld SEA 2026 Held in May, a Demonstration of the Indonesian Bus and Body Industry

JAKARTA - The Indonesian bus and bodywork industry will hold a festival again through the Busworld Southeast Asia 2026 event on May 20-22, 2026 at JIExpo Kemayoran. This event is in conjunction with INAPA 2026 and EV & Charging Indonesia 2026, thus presenting a series of automotive and transportation exhibitions that are integrated in the Southeast Asian region.

A number of well-known domestic car bodies are sure to enliven this B2B exhibition, including Adiputro, Laksana, New Armada, Tentrem, to Piala Mas. GEM Indonesia Director Baki Lee, assessed that this year's implementation will record the largest scale compared to previous editions.

"So this time it can be said that Busworld South Asia 2026 is the largest compared to previous ones. In terms of size and in terms of the number of exhibits and more bodywork friends. It will definitely be much more exciting," said Baki Lee in a press conference in Jakarta, Wednesday, April 15.

This exhibition is targeted to be attended by more than 1,500 participants with a potential attendance of more than 60,000 professional visitors from more than 40 countries. A variety of products and innovations will be displayed, ranging from conventional buses to electric vehicles, including safety technology and fleet management systems.

"There are technologies from Europe, India and China that they have used in Indonesia, and will be introduced to others as well. So there are many technologies such as savings, acceleration, accuracy, accuracy are all there," he said.

Even so, detailed information regarding the products to be launched is still kept secret by each participant. The participants promised surprises at the exhibition.

"We really want to expose the participants to what they want to show, but it is prohibited. Because if it is exposed now it is not exciting. They want to see it directly at the exhibition," he said.

Askarindo Chairman Jimmy Tenacious, assessed that this event had a positive impact on the competitiveness of the national automotive industry. He saw an increase in participation and exhibition area as an indicator of the success of the previous event.

"I really appreciate this Busworld event. We can see from the development of the addition of the number of bodies that participate and the land that is rented. That indicates that this event was very successful before," said Jimmy.

He also highlighted the interest of foreign markets in Indonesian bodywork products. According to Jimmy, the export opportunities of the national bodywork industry are still wide open and able to compete in the global market.

On the other hand, the General Chair of Instran Budi Susandi, reminded that the development of the bus industry should not only focus on appearance and comfort. "Don't just give the problem of comfort and beauty, but we also have to look at the problem of safety," said Budi on the same occasion.

He explained the importance of safety aspects such as rollover tests, the use of seat belts in every seat, and materials that can absorb energy when there is a collision. "How can the structure absorb kinetic energy so that if the passenger crashes inside it can be safe," he said.

The collaboration of these three exhibitions is expected to strengthen cross-sector synergy, ranging from the manufacturing industry, bodywork, to electric vehicle technology. In addition to being a business event, the organizers together with Askarindo and Instran also emphasize the educational function through conferences and discussions that discuss the development and future of public transportation.