IDN CEO Winston Utomo Asks Indonesia’s Young Generation to Stay Optimistic

The first is the extraordinary scale of Indonesia’s young population.

Approximately 194 million Indonesians are Millennials and Gen Z, representing nearly 68 percent of the country’s population. Few nations possess a demographic advantage of this magnitude.

But Winston cautioned that demographics alone do not guarantee progress. A large productive population becomes a national strength only when matched by strong human capital, discipline, resilience, and a willingness to keep learning.

He called on Indonesia’s young generation to develop the work ethic, adaptability, and intellectual curiosity required to thrive in a world that is changing faster than ever.

“Millennials and Gen Z are not spectators of the future. We are the authors of that future.”

For Winston, Indonesia’s greatest long-term advantage lies not only in its abundant natural resources or strategic geography, but in the quality, character, and ambition of its people. The decisions made by today’s young generation will determine the country Indonesia becomes in the decades ahead.

Winston’s second source of optimism is Indonesia’s rapidly expanding creative economy.

As the leader of a company operating across media, entertainment, technology, and the creator economy, he sees the creative sector as far more than a cultural industry. It has the potential to become a powerful engine of economic growth, employment, innovation, and global influence.

Around the world, nations increasingly build their relevance not only through economic scale or technological strength, but through the stories, music, films, ideas, and cultural movements they export.

Creative work can cross borders, shape perceptions, and strengthen a country’s position on the global stage.

Indonesia possesses the foundations to do the same: a vast domestic market, extraordinary cultural diversity, and a growing generation of creators with the talent and ambition to compete globally.

The opportunity, Winston argued, is for Indonesia to evolve from being primarily a consumer of global culture into a producer of world-class intellectual property and creative work.

“Imagine if Indonesia did not only consume content, but exported it. Imagine if we did not only follow global trends, but created the trends the world follows.”

As digital technology continues to transform how content is created, distributed, and monetized, Winston believes creativity will become one of Indonesia’s most valuable strategic assets.

The countries that succeed in the future will not merely be those that manufacture products. They will also be those that create ideas, stories, and cultural influence at scale.

Winston’s third reason for optimism is the level of engagement Indonesia’s young generation demonstrates toward the future of the country.

Citing research from the IDN Research Institute, he noted that nearly 70 percent of young Indonesians actively express their views on issues they care about—almost twice the level recorded among previous generations.

For Winston, this engagement challenges the perception that younger generations are apathetic or disengaged.

On the contrary, they are paying close attention to the issues that will define Indonesia’s future: education, economic opportunity, social equality, environmental sustainability, and the strength of the country’s democracy.

“Without a strong sense of nationalism among the young generation, it is very difficult for a country to advance. We are fortunate that Indonesia’s young generation is not silent.”

Their willingness to speak, participate, question, and contribute represents an important form of social capital.

When channelled constructively, this energy can become a powerful force for institutional improvement, social progress, and national transformation.

In closing, Winston emphasized that no meaningful national transformation can be achieved by one individual, one institution, or one generation alone.

Indonesia’s tradition of gotong royong must be reimagined for the modern era—as collaboration across generations, industries, regions, disciplines, and perspectives.

Through Indonesia Summit, IDN seeks to create a platform where leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, creators, and young Indonesians can exchange ideas and work toward a shared vision of the country’s future.

Because the future, Winston said, is not something that simply arrives.

It is something people must have the courage to build.

“The future is not something we wait for. The future is something we must create—starting today, together with all of Indonesia’s young generation.”

The message reflects the conviction that has guided IDN since its founding: that empowering young people is not only a business mission, but a national imperative.

Indonesia’s progress may not come through one dramatic breakthrough. It will be built through millions of decisions, ideas, actions, and acts of courage — repeated consistently over time.