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.
