Demographic Bonus, Young Generation Encouraged To Take A Role Through Creative Industry

Talkshow carries the theme Batik and Sustainability: Lestarikan Tradition, Lestarikan Bumi. (Ist)

JAKARTA - In the midst of increasing global awareness of sustainability issues, batik is not only seen as a cultural product, but also as a lifestyle representation that is in line with environmental conservation values.

This momentum is a great opportunity for Indonesia to reaffirm its commitment to preserving wastra through a more inclusive, innovative, and future-oriented approach. The younger generation occupies a strategic position in driving this transformation.

The demographic bonus that we are experiencing opens up a large space for the younger generation to become the main driver of change. They are important agents in realizing sustainability, including in the creative industry sector such as batik," said the Expert Staff of the Minister for Climate Business and Investment at the Ministry of Industry, Doddy Rahadi, in the Talkshow Community Engagement as a series of fiat Festival Industrial activities. The 2025 Batik Nusantara title in a press release was confiscated on Saturday 2 August.

The talk show carries the theme Batik and Sustainability: This Traditional Lestarikan, Lestarikan Bumi is part of the Ministry of Industry's campaign to encourage the adoption of environmentally friendly industrial practices and strengthen cultural values in the national manufacturing sector.

This opportunity is in line with the industry of small and medium enterprises (IKM) in the fashion sector which continues to show a significant contribution to the national economy. This is because the creative economy sector is able to contribute 7.8 percent to the national GDP, with one of the biggest contributions coming from the creative industry of fashion and craft sub-sectors.

In addition, based on BPS data, as of 2022, there were more than 958 thousand fashion IKMs, consisting of 303,485 textile IKMs, 594,912 units of finished clothing, and 60,760 units of leather and footwear. The three sub-sectors cumulatively also absorb more than 1.6 million workers, most of whom come from productive age.

As many as 67.5 percent of Indonesia's population, which is young and at a productive age, according to Doddy, has high capacity in terms of creativity, the use of digital technology, and the spirit of innovation. In the preservation of batik, the younger generation is not only a consumer, but also a creator of trends and active industry players.

Doddy said, there is a positive shift in the way the younger generation interprets batik. If in the past batik was synonymous with formal clothes and conservative impressions, now young people are starting to adopt it as part of the casual style and streetwear. In fact, many of them gave birth to batik-based local fashion labels, create fresh designs, and promote them through digital platforms with attractive visual approaches.

Batik is no longer just ceremonial clothing. For the younger generation, batik has become a symbol of identity and cultural expression that can be proud of. This is a great potential that we must continue to support," he said.

The Ministry of Industry continues to encourage the narrative of sustainability in the batik industry, including by promoting environmentally friendly production processes, the use of natural dyes, and encouraging the transparency of supply chains from Small and Medium Industries (IKM) players. Education for young consumers is also carried out through various campaigns and festivals.

"We have to build deeper emotional relationships. This is not only the task of one party. There must be collaboration from the government, industry players, education, media, to the community. Everything needs to move together to keep batik alive and known, not only in Indonesia, but also in the eyes of the world, "said Doddy.

He added that activities such as the Batik Nusantara and Industrial Festival title are a tangible manifestation of the Ministry of Industry's commitment to opening collaboration spaces between industry, communities, and the younger generation. This platform is also a means of public education and promotion of Indonesian batik in the domestic and global markets.

'Preserving batik is not just maintaining a beautiful patterned cloth. It's about caring for the identity of the nation, respecting craftsmen, and being responsible for the earth where we stand. Let's continue to collaborate, starting from ourselves, starting from today," he said.

As part of efforts to build a sustainable fashion industry ecosystem, one of the local fashion brands, namely KaIND, plays a role in the application of sustainable fashion principles that prioritize cultural and environmentally friendly preservation.

"KainD departs from the belief that local wisdom is an important foundation in building the future fashion industry. Through ethical, aesthetic, and social impact approaches, we want to encourage industrial transformation that is not only globally competitive, but also in favor of the environment and community," said the founder of KaIND, Melie Indarto.

The 2025 Industrial Festival will collaborate with the Nusantara Batik Title on 30 July 3 August 2025 at Pasaraya Blok M. This festival carries the tagline #BATIKRIZZ which confirms that batik is not just a cultural heritage, but also part of today's creative industry that upholds innovation, digitization, and sustainability principles.

This festival will also be enlivened by the Creative Content Competition and the launch of the Industrial Mascot Competition which is open to the public, including students, to design a mascot that represents the spirit of Indonesia's 4.0 industry.