Here's A List Of Republic Day Chief Guests Over The Years

India will be celebrating its 75th Republic Day on Friday, 26 January. It is the day when the newly adopted Constitution came into force and India became a republic in 1950. The celebrations for the day include the annual parade at Rajpath, now called Kartavya Path, in New Delhi. It features march-pasts by personnel of the Indian Armed Forces and vibrant tableaux showcasing the diversity and culture of different states. The Republic Day celebrations last for three days, and they end with the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29.

French President Emmanuel Macron will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day 2024 celebrations this year. He will be the sixth leader from France to grace the prestigious annual event. 

"At the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of France, will be visiting India as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"As strategic partners, India and France share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues. This year, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the India-France strategic partnership. The Prime Minister was the guest of honour at the Bastille Day Parade held on 14 July 2023 in Paris. President Macron visited India for the G-20 Summit on 9-10 September 2023," the ministry added. 

Notably, the main purpose of inviting a foreign leader to the Republic Day parade is to boost bilateral relations between the two countries and show the diversity and prosperity of the Indian culture. 

Here's a list of Republic Day chief guests over the years:

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2023

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of Egypt

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2021, 2022

No chief guest due to Covid pandemic

No chief guest due to Covid pandemic

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2020

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2019

Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2018

Ten guests - heads of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states

Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei

Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia

Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia

Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of Laos

Najib Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia

Aung San Suu Kyi, State counsellor of Myanmar

Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines

Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore

Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand

Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2017

Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2016

Francois Hollande, President of France

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2015

Barack Obama, President of the United States

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2014

Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2013

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of Bhutan

Chief guest at Republic Day Parade 2012

Yingluck Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand 

Republic Day 2024: How is the Chief Guest Chosen?

The Indian Government sends the invitation to either the head of state or the government six months before the Republic Day celebrations. The approval of the Prime Minister is sought along with clearance from the President of India before sending the invitation. Before extending an invitation, the MEA also takes into consideration the nature of the relationship between India and the country concerned.