PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BNI's support for strengthening the national creative economy continued, one of which was through participation in the Indonesia Creative Cities Festival (ICCF) 2025 which took place for five days, from November 6–10, 2025, in Selecta, Batu City, as well as at various points in the Greater Malang area.
BNI Commercial Banking Director Muhammad Iqbal said that BNI's participation in ICCF 2025 marks an important momentum for the revival of the creative ecosystem in Indonesia.
"BNI views the creative industry as a new driver of national economic growth. Through cross-sector collaborations like the ICCF, we aim to strengthen the network of creative actors from the local to the global level," Iqbal said in a written statement.
Carrying the overarching theme "Nusantaraya – Senyawa Malang Raya," ICCF 2025 embodied the spirit of collaboration across regions, cultures, and generations to strengthen the potential of the creative economy rooted in innovation and sustainability. The festival served as a meeting place for ideas, innovation, and a celebration of diversity across cities and creative communities across Indonesia.
Iqbal continued, BNI's involvement in this activity was part of the company's ongoing strategy to strengthen the capacity and competitiveness of creative industry players and local MSMEs so they can penetrate the international market.
Through an ecosystem approach, BNI provided support in the form of access to financing, digitalization, and business mentoring integrated with various government programs and creative communities.
In the series of activities, an International Conference entitled "Global Collaboration for the Indonesian Creative Economy" was also held, which presented national and international figures from various institutions such as the Institut Français Indonesia (IFI), the British Council, Telkomsel, and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
At a panel session held on Saturday, November 8, 2025, BNI, represented by Faizal Isnaeni, Division Head of SME Business, outlined the company's concrete support for the creative community in East Java. BNI has disbursed People's Business Credit (KUR) financing to creative businesses, including animation, film, and programming, in the Singhasari Special Economic Zone (KEK) for the construction of creative studios and working capital.
In addition, it was also conveyed that BNI supports the creative industry through the Xpora program, an initiative to help local MSMEs and creative actors penetrate the global market.
Through this program, BNI provides export training and assistance with ministries and institutions experienced in international trade, opens global market access through nine BNI Foreign Offices (KLN), and provides digital services such as Wondr by BNI, BNI Direct, and TapCash as efficient business operational solutions.
With this support, BNI strengthens its role as a strategic partner for MSMEs and creative industry players, not only domestically, but also in efforts to bring local works and products to the global market.
"Through collaboration with ICCN (Indonesia Creative Cities Network) and various regional creative communities, BNI wants to ensure that Indonesian creative actors have broader access to financing, financial literacy, and international markets. This is part of BNI's role in bringing the spirit of Indonesian creativity to the global stage," Iqbal concluded.