Republic Day Diplomacy: Why India’s Chief Guest List Is Never Accidental

From Sukarno to Obama to EU leaders, India’s Republic Day chief guest tradition reveals New Delhi’s evolving foreign policy. The 2026 EU invite signals Europe’s growing strategic importance.

By Gaurav Bhagat: As India celebrates the 77th year of its Republic Day, the tradition of inviting a foreign leader as the chief guest at the 26th January parade once again comes into focus. President Sukarno of Indonesia was the first world leader to receive this honor in 1950, marking the beginning of this custom. Since then, the Republic Day parade has become more than just an official event in India; it has become an indirect but efficient tool for the country to express its agenda to the international community at large. One of the greatest honors India can confer on any foreign visitor is to invite them as guests of honor at the Republic Day celebrations. The message delivered is even more important. Every move is an insight into Delhi's current foreign policy thinking, philosophy, and long-term strategy concerns.

Historical Signals: From Non-Alignment to Global Partnerships

Since India has been a leading force in the NAM bloc, quite a number of the invitees who attended in the early decades were from other postcolonial and NAM countries. Fittingly, President Sukarno, a NAM co-founder, was the 1950 guest of honor. Throughout the 1950s–70s, India often hosted dignitaries from socialist or NAM-aligned nations but also balanced diverse friendships. For example, Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito (1968 and again in 1974) and Soviet leader General Secretary Kliment Voroshilov (1960) were invited during the Cold War, highlighting India's ties to the Eastern Bloc. Then again, in 1961, India welcomed Western leaders such as Queen Elizabeth II as a demonstration that it would preserve Commonwealth relations even while practicing nonalignment.

The Republic Day invitations from the 1990s and 2000s represented varied diplomacy and economic reforms of India. Nelson Mandela's presence as chief guest in 1995, after South Africa won against apartheid, was a poignant example of the end of the oppression of the colonial era and a celebration of common democratic values shared between the two nations. In 2003, India hosted Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami, as it asserted independent outreach in the Islamic world despite global tensions. The first decade of the 2000s also saw leaders from every permanent UN Security Council member except the U.S., Russia’s Vladimir Putin in 2007, France’s Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008, and Britain’s Prime Minister John Major back in 1993. This pattern highlighted India’s multi-aligned diplomacy: engaging great powers across divides.

A watershed moment came in 2015, when Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to be invited as the Republic Day chief guest. His arrival was also perceived as a symbol of a new beginning in the relationship between India and the US. It signified a shift in Indian foreign policy towards a strong strategic partnership with America while not neglecting other countries. This kind of balanced international strategy is also manifested through other initiatives, such as the invitation to all 10 leaders of the ASEAN bloc in 2018. The 2018 ASEAN invitation celebrated 25 years of India-ASEAN relations and sent a message of solidarity in the Indo-Pacific.

India has not shied from using the Republic Day honor to court emerging powers and key regions. In 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was extended an invitation in honor of the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth, a reminder of the significance of Africa to India and a nod to the long-standing ties between South Africa and India. Amid a few protests, the far-right leader, President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, was also invited in 2020 as part of attempts to boost relations with the biggest economy in Latin America and a member of BRICS countries. These examples above indicate that New Delhi always readjusts the guest list based on the recent strategic objective, whether it is celebrating the birthday of their democratic transformation, building internal regional relations, or expanding its reach globally.

2026: Outreach to Europe, EU Leaders as Chief Guests

The Republic Day guest list for 2026 shifts westward to Europe. In an unprecedented move, prominent European Union figures, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, have been invited by India as chief guests for the 77th Republic Day celebrations. There is considerable diplomatic significance to this unprecedented dual invitation. It demonstrates that India sees the EU as a crucial strategic ally and is eager to advance its relationship with Brussels.

The timing and location of the EU leaders' visit highlight India's worldview. During their stay, Costa and von der Leyen will not only attend the January 26 parade but also co-chair the 16th India–EU Summit in New Delhi the very next day. The summit aims to finally clinch a long-pending India–EU free trade agreement (FTA), negotiations for which, launched in 2007, have gained fresh momentum in recent years. By inviting the EU’s top brass, India is clearly telegraphing that economic diplomacy with Europe is now a top priority in its worldview. It reflects New Delhi’s recognition that a partnership with the EU, the world’s third-largest economy as a bloc, can bolster India’s own growth and provide a counterweight in a changing global economic landscape.

Conclusion: Perspective on Display

India's Republic Day chief guest selections have reflected the country's changing foreign policy priorities, from Sukarno to Obama to von der Leyen. In essence, New Delhi uses this yearly diplomatic pageant to let the world know who its friends are and where it plans to go. Whether it is promoting post-colonial solidarity, utilizing economic partnerships, or balancing great powers, India's strategic mindset is reflected in the choice of chief guest. Every January 26, the imagery of India’s president and prime minister standing beside the chosen foreign dignitary, against the backdrop of marching bands, cultural tableaux, and missile launchers, speaks volumes. It tells a story of where India’s international relationships stand and where they are headed. The pomp and ceremony may celebrate India’s past (its Constitution and Republic), but the chief guest choice is always about India’s future. And this year, New Delhi's embrace of EU leaders represents its dedication to a rules-based international order alongside like-minded allies. In other words, at a time when great-power rivalry and conflict are testing international norms, India is indicating that it supports Europe in maintaining these standards.

(The author is the founder of Gaurav Bhagat Academy)

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