Republic Day celebrations in India take place every year on January 26, commemorating the adoption of the Constitution in 1950. The day is held by grand parades, showcasing military might, cultural diversity, and technological prowess.
Republic Day – Date
Each year, Republic Day in India is observed on January 26th to highlight the adoption of the Constitution of India in 1950, replacing the Government of India Act (1935). The day is celebrated by the Citizens of India with patriotic fervour, grand parades, and cultural events across the country.
Republic Day – Inaugural Chief Guest
The inaugural Republic Day Chief Guest was Dr. Sukarno, the first President of Indonesia. He attended the occasion on January 26, 1950, on the first anniversary of the Republic of India. Dr. Sukarno’s presence represented the solidarity between India and Indonesia.
Who will be the Chief Guest on Republic Day 2024?
In 2024, Emmanuel Macron, President of France will come to India as the Chief Guest for Republic Day celebrations.
The first chief guest of Republic Day was Dr. Sukarno who was the first President of Indonesia. In 2024, the chief guest of Republic Day will be Emmanuel Macron, the President of France.
List of Chief Guests on Republic Day (1950-2024)
| Year | Guest Name | Country |
| 1950 | President Sukarno | Indonesia |
| 1951 | King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah | Nepal |
| 1952 | No invitation | — |
| 1953 | No invitation | — |
| 1954 | King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck | Bhutan |
| 1955 | Governor-General Malik Ghulam Muhammad | Pakistan |
| 1956 | Chancellor of the Exchequer R. A. Butler Chief Justice Kotaro Tanaka | United Kingdom Japan |
| 1957 | Minister of Defence Georgy Zhukov | Soviet Union |
| 1958 | Marshall Ye Jianying | China |
| 1959 | Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip | United Kingdom |
| 1960 | President Kliment Voroshilov | USSR |
| 1961 | Queen Elizabeth II | United Kingdom |
| 1962 | Prime Minister Viggo Kampmann | Denmark |
| 1963 | King Norodom Sihanouk | Cambodia |
| 1964 | Chief of Defence Staff Lord Louis Mountbatten | United Kingdom |
| 1965 | Food and Agriculture Minister Rana Abdul Hamid | Pakistan |
| 1966 | No invitation | No invitation |
| 1967 | King Mohammed Zahir Shah | Afghanistan |
| 1968 | Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin | USSR |
| President Josip Broz Tito | SFR Yugoslavia | |
| 1969 | Prime Minister of Bulgaria Todor Zhivkov | Bulgaria |
| 1970 | King of the Belgians Baudouin | Belgium |
| 1971 | President Julius Nyerere | Tanzania |
| 1972 | Prime Minister Seewoosagur Ramgoolam | Mauritius |
| 1973 | President Mobutu Sese Seko | Zaire |
| 1974 | President Josip Broz Tito | SFR Yugoslavia |
| Prime Minister Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike | Sri Lanka | |
| 1975 | President Kenneth Kaunda | Zambia |
| 1976 | Prime Minister Jacques Chirac | France |
| 1977 | First Secretary Edward Gierek | Poland |
| 1978 | President Patrick Hillery | Ireland |
| 1979 | Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser | Australia |
| 1980 | President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing | France |
| 1981 | President José López Portillo | Mexico |
| 1982 | King Juan Carlos I | Spain |
| 1983 | President Shehu Shagari | Nigeria |
| 1984 | King Jigme Singye Wangchuck | Bhutan |
| 1985 | President Raúl Alfonsín | Argentina |
| 1986 | Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou | Greece |
| 1987 | President Alan García | Peru |
| 1988 | President Junius Jayewardene | Sri Lanka |
| 1989 | General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh | Viet Nam |
| 1990 | Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth | Mauritius |
| 1991 | President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom | Maldives |
| 1992 | President Mário Soares | Portugal |
| 1993 | Prime Minister John Major | United Kingdom |
| 1994 | Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong | Singapore |
| 1995 | President Nelson Mandela | South Africa |
| 1996 | President Dr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso | Brazil |
| 1997 | Prime Minister Basdeo Panday | Trinidad and Tobago |
| 1998 | President Jacques Chirac | France |
| 1999 | King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev | Nepal |
| 2000 | President Olusegun Obasanjo | Nigeria |
| 2001 | President Abdelaziz Bouteflika | Algeria |
| 2002 | President Cassam Uteem | Mauritius |
| 2003 | President Mohammed Khatami | Iran |
| 2004 | President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva | Brazil |
| 2005 | King Jigme Singye Wangchuck | Bhutan |
| 2006 | King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud[ | Saudi Arabia |
| 2007 | President Vladimir Putin | Russia |
| 2008 | President Nicolas Sarkozy | France |
| 2009 | President Nursultan Nazarbayev | Kazakhstan |
| 2010 | President Lee Myung Bak | Republic of Korea |
| 2011 | President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono | Indonesia |
| 2012 | Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra | Thailand |
| 2013 | King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck | Bhutan |
| 2014 | Prime Minister Shinzo Abe | Japan |
| 2015 | President Barack Obama | United States |
| 2016 | President François Hollande | France |
| 2017 | Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed | United Arab Emirates |
| 2018 | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Joko Widodo Thongloun Sisoulith Prime Minister Hun Sen Najib Razak President Htin Kyaw Rodrigo Roa Duterte Halimah Yacob Prayuth Chan-ocha Nguyễn Xuân Phúc | Brunei Indonesia Laos Cambodia Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam |
| 2019 | President Cyril Ramaphosa | South Africa |
| 2020 | President Jair Bolsonaro | Brazil |
| 2021 | Prime Minister Boris Johnson (cancelled his visit) | United Kingdom |
| 2022 | – | – |
| 2023 | President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi | Egypt |
| 2024 | President Emmanuel Macron | France |