New Delhi: India will celebrate its 77th Republic Day on January 26, 2026, marking the day the Constitution of India came into force in 1950. The annual
celebrations at Kartavya Path in New Delhi commemorate the foundations of India’s democratic republic and showcase the nation’s military strength, cultural diversity, and technological progress.
Republic Day also serves as a platform for high-level diplomatic engagement, with a distinguished foreign leader traditionally invited as the chief guest, underscoring India’s foreign policy priorities.
Over the years, several prominent global leaders have attended the Republic Day celebrations as chief guests. Here is a look at some of them:
Barack Obama
Barack Obama became the first US President to be invited as the Republic Day chief guest in 2015.
François Hollande
The former French President was the chief guest at India’s 67th Republic Day. France and India share long-standing defence and strategic ties.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
In 2017, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended as the chief guest. At the time, he was the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. He is now the President of the UAE.
ASEAN leaders
Leaders from all 10 ASEAN member states—Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei—were invited as chief guests in 2018.
Cyril Ramaphosa
The South African President attended as the chief guest in 2019, becoming the second South African leader to do so after Nelson Mandela in 1995. This marked Ramaphosa’s first visit to India as Head of State.
Jair Bolsonaro
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest in 2020, the third Brazilian leader to attend the event after Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1996) and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2004).
COVID 19
India did not invite any foreign chief guest for Republic Day celebrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
In 2023, the President of Egypt attended as the Republic Day chief guest—the first time an Egyptian head of state was invited.
Emmanuel Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron was the chief guest in 2024, marking the sixth time a French head of state attended India’s Republic Day celebrations.
Prabowo Subianto
The President of Indonesia was invited as the chief guest for the **76th Republic Day in 2025**, marking the fourth occasion an Indonesian leader attended the event.
