Republic Day in India is celebrated annually on January 26 to honour the day when the Constitution of India came into effect in the year 1950. The day is observed as a national holiday across India and is marked by various events and activities. Every year, India invites a special chief guest for its Republic Day celebrations. The Chief Guest for India's Republic Day celebrations is typically a head of state or government from another country. The choice of the guest country is often influenced by diplomatic considerations, historical ties, and strategic partnerships. The chief guest for Republic Day 2024 is French President Emmanuel Macron. This year, India will celebrate its 75th Republic Day. “At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, will be visiting India as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations," an official statement by the MEA said.

Being invited as the chief guest at Republic Day celebrations is the highest honour a country accords in terms of protocol. Take a look at India’s Republic Day Chief Guests from previous years. PM Modi Shakes Hand, Shares Warm Hug With French President Emmanuel Macron in Jaipur (Watch Video).

Check List of Chief Guests Who Visited India in the Last 5 Years

  • In 2023, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of Egypt, was India’s Republic Day Chief Guest

  • In 2022 and 2021, no Chief Guests were invited due to the COVID-19 pandemic

  • In 2020, Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil, was the Republic Day Chief Guest in India

  • In 2019, Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, was India’s Republic Day Chief Guest.

  • In 2018, 10 guests, the heads of the ASEAN states, were the Republic Day chief guests in India. The 10 leaders included Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam; Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand; Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore; Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines; Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar; Najib Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia; Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of Laos; Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia; Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia and Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei.

It must be noted that Macron is not the first from France to be a part of India's Republic Day celebrations. Earlier, former French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac was the chief guest on India's Republic Day celebrations in 1976 and 1998, and former Presidents Valery Giscard d'Estaing, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Francois Hollande in the years 1980, 2008, and 2016, respectively.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 25, 2024 07:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).