SINGAPORE (March 9): Singapore Post has formed a joint venture with PT Trikomsel Oke Tbk, which sells mobile phones in Indonesia, to tap the e-commerce market in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

The postal group will own 33% of the new entity, while PT Trikomsel will own the rest, both companies said in a joint statement today.

SingPost's initial investment in the joint venture is US$1.1 million ($1.5 million).

"The partnership’s strategic objective is to become the preferred go-to-market partner for brands and merchants looking to enter the growing Indonesian e-commerce market," they said.

It will do so by providing "turn-key omni-channel e-commerce and logistics solutions" that can be customized for leading global companies and established brands in Indonesia.

"This partnership will combine the strengths of Trikomsel’s significant distribution network in Indonesia and SingPost’s expertise in regional e-commerce and logistics operations to provide a full suite of end-to-end B2C e-commerce solutions to businesses and a seamless shopping experience for online consumers."

Singapore-based Polaris owns 44.9% of Jakarta-listed Trikomsel.