French President Emmanuel Macron will be the guest of honor at India's Republic Day celebrations
India has invited French President Emmanuel Macron to be the chief guest at the country’s national day celebrations next month
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.India has invited French President Emmanuel Macron to be the chief guest at the country's national day celebrations next month, in what Macron's office described on Friday as a powerful gesture for the two nations' ties.
The visit for Republic Day on Jan. 26 will be Macron's third to India as president. The event marks the 74th anniversary of the adoption of India's Constitution on Jan. 26, 1950, nearly three years after it won independence from British colonial rule.
India's official guest in January 2023 was Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, for a 90-minute parade that ended with a flyby featuring 75 air force fighters, including French-made Rafale jets, transport planes and helicopters.
Previous French guests for the event have included all of Macron's immediate predecessors as France's president: François Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac.
Macron's office described the invitation as “an extremely strong gesture.” He also visited India in 2018 and again for a Group of 20 summit in September.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was guest of honor this year at France's annual Bastille Day parade in Paris on July 14.