The upcoming Republic Day celebrations in India will witness the participation of two French Rafale fighter jets, a French transport aircraft, and a formidable 95-member contingent from the prestigious French Foreign Legion. Renowned for its elite training and global service under the French flag, the Legion adds a distinguished touch to the celebration.
Notably, French President Emmanuel Macron has been invited as the chief guest for India’s Republic Day on January 26, an honour New Delhi reserves for nations with close bilateral ties.
This marks the second instance of a French armed forces contingent marching on Kartavya Path. In 2016, French Army soldiers made history as the first foreign military contingent to participate in India’s Republic Day, coinciding with the invitation extended to then-President Francois Hollande as the chief guest.
The involvement of French Air assets and a marching contingent this year is reminiscent of the Indian Air Force’s Rafale jet and a 269-member tri-services contingent’s participation at Champs-Élysées last year. This occurred during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role as the guest of honour at the Bastille Day parade in Paris.
Subsequent invitations were extended to French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing in 1980, Jacques Chirac in 1998, Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008, and François Hollande in 2016.
The French president is set for a two-day India visit from January 25 to 26. His journey will commence in Jaipur, Rajasthan, where he will join a roadshow with PM Modi.
Accompanied by a high-level delegation, including CEOs, the visit anticipates significant announcements, particularly in the defence space, a key pillar of bilateral ties. Discussions about the Scorpène-class submarine and Rafale M deals are believed to be heading in a positive direction.
This marks President Macron’s second state visit to India, with the previous one in 2018. Notably, PM Modi and President Macron have convened four times in the last six months, including meetings at the Delhi G20 summit, the India-visited virtual summit, and discussions on the sidelines of the climate summit in Dubai.
