Astra is a familiar name, especially for Indonesian people. Yes, this company was founded by William Soeryadjaya with his sister, Drs. Tjia Kian Tie, and also his friend named Lim Peng Hong in 1957 with the name PT Astra International Incorporated. At first, this company ran a beverages marketing named Prem Club, and then followed by exporting earth crops. As time went by, the business expanded and ranged to automotive, heavy equipment, office equipment, woods, and many more. From there, Astra then grows into one of the influenced companies in Indonesia.
In 1990, this company changed the name into PT Astra International Tbk. Started from April 4, 1980, this company was listed in Jakarta’s Stock Exchange. Now, Astra has not only been known for the automotive, but in various fields such as agroindustry, financial services, heavy equipment, information technology, and infrastructure. One of the giant companies originated from Indonesia is known as the distributor of Toyota, a sole distributor of Honda’s motorcycle, and also Xerox office equipment in Indonesia. The company which already has more than 220.000 employees and 190 subsidiaries keeps growing and contributing to build Indonesia’s economic. Now, 51% of Astra’s stock is owned by Jardine Cycle & Carriage’s.