French President Emmanuel Macron will be the Chief Guest at this year’s Republic Day Parade on 26th January at the Kartvya Path in New Delhi. Providing information about the French delegation, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane informed the media on Friday that France will be represented by a 95-member marching contingent and a 33-member band contingent participating in the parade. In addition to the Indian Air Force aircraft, the Fly-past will feature a Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and two Rafale aircraft from the French Air Force.
The Republic Day Parade, themed ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Bharat – Loktantra ki Matruka,’ will highlight women’s contributions prominently. According to the official, the parade will predominantly feature women marching contingents, underscoring their significant presence. The tableaux representing States/Union Territories (UTs) and Central Ministries/Organizations will vividly showcase India’s cultural diversity, unity, and progress. The chosen themes align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s perspective that ‘India is truly a mother of democracy.’
Breaking from tradition, the Republic Day parade will witness 100 women musicians playing Indian musical instruments instead of conventional military bands for the first time. This year’s grand ceremonial event will boast unprecedented female representation in the Indian Air Force fly-past, marching contingents, and the cultural show. Notably, the parade will feature an all-women Tri-Service contingent marching down Kartavya Path for the first time, and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) contingents will also include women personnel. The Defence Secretary asserted that this year’s Republic Day parade will showcase the best representation of women to date.
Approximately 77,000 spectators, including 13,000 special guests from various parts of the country, will be at Kartavya Path to witness the parade to promote ‘Jan Bhandari’ (public participation), as highlighted by the Defence Secretary.
Team BharatShakti
