List of chief guests at the Delhi Republic Day parade

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Since 1950, India has been hosting head of state or government of another country as the state guest of honor for Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. During 1950–1954, Republic Day celebrations were organized at different venues (like Irwin Amphitheatre, Kingsway, Red Fort and Ramlila Maidan). It was only starting 1955 when the Republic Day parade in its present form was organized at Rajpath.[1] The guest country is chosen after a deliberation of strategic, economic and political interests. During 1950s–1970s, a number of Non-Aligned Movement and Eastern Bloc countries were hosted by India.[2] In 1968 and 1974, India played host to two countries on the same Republic Day.

List of chief guests

Template:Sronly
Year Portrait Chief Guest Country Designation Note Host
1950 File:Presiden Sukarno (retouched).jpg Sukarno[3] Template:IDN President of Indonesia Rajendra Prasad
1951 File:King Tribhuvan (cropped).png Tribhuvan[4] Template:NPL King of Nepal
1952 Template:Center
1953
1954 File:Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (cropped).jpg Jigme Dorji Wangchuck[5] Template:BTN King of Bhutan Rajendra Prasad
1955 File:Malik Muhammad.jpg Malik Ghulam Muhammad[6] Template:PAK Governor-General of Pakistan Template:NoteTag
1956 File:Rab Butler in 1963 (3x4 cropped).jpg Rab Butler Template:UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Two guests[7]Template:NoteTag
File:TANAKA Kotaro.jpg Kōtarō Tanaka Template:JPN Chief Justice of Japan
1957 File:Zhukov-LIFE-1944-1945 cropped.jpg Georgy Zhukov[8] Template:URS Minister of Defence
1958 File:Ye Jianying.jpg Ye Jianying[9] Template:Flag Marshal of the People's Republic of China
1959 File:Prince Philip beard.jpg Philip[10][11][12] Template:UK Royal consort of British monarch 2nd invitation
1960 File:Kliment Voroshilov.jpg Kliment Voroshilov[13] Template:URS Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet 2nd invitation
1961 File:Queen Elizabeth II - 1953-Dress.JPG Elizabeth II[14] Template:UK Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms 3rd invitationTemplate:NoteTag
1962 File:Viggo Kampmann.jpg Viggo Kampmann[15] Template:DEN Prime Minister of Denmark Template:NoteTag
1963 File:Norodom Sihanouk (1983).jpg Norodom Sihanouk[16] Template:KHM King of Cambodia Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
1964 File:Lord Mountbatten 20 Allan Warren.jpg Louis Mountbatten[17] Template:UK Chief of the Defence Staff 4th invitationTemplate:NoteTag
1965 Rana Abdul Hamid Template:PAK Minister of Food and Agriculture 2nd invitation
1966 Template:Center
1967 File:Portrait of King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan in 1963.jpg Mohammed Zahir Shah[18] Template:Flag King of Afghanistan Template:NoteTag Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
1968 File:Алексей Косыгин (1966) (cropped).jpg Alexei Kosygin Template:URS Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union 3rd invitation Two guests[19] Zakir Husain
File:Josip Broz Tito uniform portrait.jpg Josip Broz Tito Template:YUG President of Yugoslavia
1969 File:Todor Zhivkov , eerste secretaris Communistische Partij en president van Bulgari, Bestanddeelnr 924-8077 (cropped).jpg Todor Zhivkov[20] Template:BGR Prime Minister of Bulgaria
1970 File:King Baudouin of Belgium.jpg Baudouin[21][22] Template:BEL King of Belgium Template:NoteTag V. V. Giri
1971 File:President Nyerere van Tanzania, koppen, Bestanddeelnr 928-2879 (cropped).jpg Julius Nyerere[23] Template:TZA President of Tanzania
1972 File:Seewoosagur Ramgoolam.jpg Seewoosagur Ramgoolam[24] Template:MUS Prime Minister of Mauritius
1973 File:Prins Bernhard in Zaire (voorheen Belgisch Congo), Bernhard en Mobutu, Bestanddeelnr 926-6037 (cropped).jpg Mobutu Sese Seko[25] Template:ZAI President of Zaire
1974 File:Josip Broz Tito uniform portrait.jpg Josip Broz Tito Template:YUG President of Yugoslavia 2nd invitation Two guests[26]
File:Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Ceylon 1960 (cropped).PNG Sirimavo Bandaranaike Template:LKA Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
1975 File:Kaunda1986 (cropped).jpg Kenneth Kaunda[27] Template:ZMB President of Zambia Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
1976 File:Jacques Chirac 1980.jpg Jacques Chirac[28] Template:FRA Prime Minister of France
1977 File:Edward Gierek 1980b.jpg Edward Gierek[29] Template:Flag First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party
1978 File:Patrick Hillery (cropped).jpg Patrick Hillery[30] Template:IRL President of Ireland Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
1979 File:Interview with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, 1979 (cropped 3).jpg Malcolm Fraser[31] Template:AUS Prime Minister of Australia
1980 File:Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1975).jpg Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Template:FRA President of France 2nd invitation
1981 File:Jose Lopez Portillo new.jpg Jose Lopez Portillo[32] Template:MEX President of Mexico
1982 File:Juan Carlos I 2009 3.jpg Juan Carlos I[33] Template:ESP King of Spain
1983 File:President Sharari cropped.jpg Shehu Shagari[34] Template:NGA President of Nigeria Zail Singh
1984 File:4th King of Bhutan, HM Jigme Singye Wangchuck at a Royal Banquet, at the Taschichhodzong, in Thimphu, Bhutan.jpg Jigme Singye Wangchuck[35] Template:BTN King of Bhutan 2nd invitation
1985 File:Raúl Alfonsín con banda presidencial (cropped).jpg Raúl Alfonsín[36] Template:ARG President of Argentina
1986 File:Andreas Papandreou (1968) 3.jpg Andreas Papandreou[37] Template:GRC Prime Minister of Greece
1987 File:Alan García presidente del Perú.jpg Alan Garcia[38] Template:PER President of Peru
1988 File:J. R. Jayawardene, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on June 20, 1984.jpg J. R. Jayewardene[39] Template:LKA President of Sri Lanka 2nd invitation Ramaswamy Venkataraman
1989 File:Nguyễn Văn Linh.jpeg Nguyễn Văn Linh[40] Template:VNM General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam
1990 File:Anerood Jugnauth, 1995.jpg Anerood Jugnauth[41] Template:MUS Prime Minister of Mauritius 2nd invitation
1991 File:Maumoon-Abdul-Gayoom.jpg Maumoon Abdul Gayoom[42] Template:MDV President of the Maldives
1992 File:Mário Soares 2003.jpeg Mário Soares[42] Template:PRT President of Portugal
1993 File:John Major 1993 (3).jpg John Major[42] Template:UK Prime Minister of United Kingdom 5th invitation Shankar Dayal Sharma
1994 File:GohChokTong-WashingtonDC-20010614.jpg Goh Chok Tong[42] Template:SGP Prime Minister of Singapore
1995 File:Nelson Mandela 1994.jpg Nelson Mandela[43] Template:ZAF President of South Africa
1996 File:Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1999).jpg Fernando Henrique Cardoso[42] Template:BRA President of Brazil
1997 File:Basdeo Panday with Mikko Pyhälä (Ambassador of Finland) (cropped).jpg Basdeo Panday[42] Template:TTO Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
1998 File:Jacques Chirac (1997) (cropped).jpg Jacques Chirac[42] Template:FRA President of France 3rd invitation K. R. Narayanan
1999 File:Birendra Bir Bikram Shah c. 1967 (restoration).jpg Birendra[42] Template:NPL King of Nepal 2nd invitation
2000 File:Olusegun Obasanjo DD-SC-07-14396-cropped.jpg Olusegun Obasanjo[42] Template:NGA President of Nigeria 2nd invitation
2001 File:Abdelaziz Bouteflika - cropped from Secretary Clinton Addresses Reporters in Algiers (8141547674).jpg Abdelaziz Bouteflika[42] Template:DZA President of Algeria
2002 File:Cassam Uteem, 2021.jpg Cassam Uteem[42] Template:MUS President of Mauritius 3rd invitation
2003 File:Mohammad Khatami - December 11, 2007.jpg Mohammed Khatami[42] Template:IRN President of Iran A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
2004 File:Lula - foto oficial - 05 jan 2007 (cropped 2).jpg Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva[42] Template:BRA President of Brazil 2nd invitation
2005 File:4th King of Bhutan, HM Jigme Singye Wangchuck at a Royal Banquet, at the Taschichhodzong, in Thimphu, Bhutan.jpg Jigme Singye Wangchuck[42] Template:BTN King of Bhutan 3rd invitation
2006 File:King Abdullah bin Abdul al-Saud January 2007.jpg Abdullah[42] Template:SAU King of Saudi Arabia
2007 File:Владимир Путин (18-06-2023) (cropped).jpg Vladimir Putin[42] Template:RUS President of Russia 4th invitation
2008 File:Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010.jpg Nicolas Sarkozy[42] Template:FRA President of France 4th invitation Pratibha Patil
2009 File:Назарбаев ЕАЭС (cropped).jpg Nursultan Nazarbayev[42] Template:KAZ President of Kazakhstan
2010 File:Lee Myung-bak presidential portrait.jpg Lee Myung Bak[44] Template:Flag President of South Korea
2011 File:Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, official presidential portrait (2009).jpg Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono[45][46] Template:IDN President of Indonesia 2nd invitation
2012 File:Prime Minister of Thailand (8182792228) cropped.jpg Yingluck Shinawatra[47] Template:THA Prime Minister of Thailand
2013 File:Prime Minister of Bharat Shri Narendra Damodardas Modi with Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema (cropped).jpg Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck[48] Template:BTN King of Bhutan 4th invitation Pranab Mukherjee
2014 File:Shinzō Abe 20200101.jpg Shinzo Abe[49] Template:JPN Prime Minister of Japan 2nd invitation
2015 File:President Barack Obama.jpg Barack Obama[50] Template:USA President of the United States
2016 File:François Hollande - 2017 (27869823159) (cropped 2).jpg François Hollande[51] Template:FRA President of France 5th invitation
2017 File:Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.jpg Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan[52] Template:UAE Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
2018 File:His Majesty Bolkiah 20231216.jpg Hassanal Bolkiah Template:BRN Sultan of Brunei Ten guests[53]Template:NoteTag Ram Nath Kovind
File:Hun Sen in July 2019.jpg Hun Sen Template:KHM Prime Minister of Cambodia 2nd invitation
File:Joko Widodo 2019 official portrait.jpg Joko Widodo Template:IDN President of Indonesia 3rd invitation
File:Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith.jpg Thongloun Sisoulith Template:LAO Prime Minister of Laos
File:Dato Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak.JPG Najib Razak Template:MYS Prime Minister of Malaysia
File:Remise du Prix Sakharov à Aung San Suu Kyi Strasbourg 22 octobre 2013-18.jpg Aung San Suu Kyi Template:MMR State Counsellor of Myanmar
File:President Rodrigo Duterte portrait (cropped).jpg Rodrigo Duterte Template:PHL President of the Philippines
File:Lee Hsien Loong 2016 (cropped).jpg Lee Hsien Loong Template:SGP Prime Minister of Singapore 2nd invitation
File:Prayut Chan-o-cha at the Enthronement of Naruhito (1).jpg Prayut Chan-o-cha Template:THA Prime Minister of Thailand 2nd invitation
File:Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc.jpg Nguyễn Xuân Phúc Template:VNM Prime Minister of Vietnam 2nd invitation
2019 File:Mr. Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General with H. E. Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, President, South Africa (cropped).jpg Cyril Ramaphosa[54][55] Template:ZAF President of South Africa 2nd invitation
2020 File:Jair Bolsonaro 2021 (cropped).jpg Jair Bolsonaro[56] Template:BRA President of Brazil 3rd invitation
2021 Template:Center
2022
2023 File:AbdelFattah Elsisi (cropped).jpg Abdel Fattah el-Sisi[57] Template:EGY President of Egypt Droupadi Murmu
2024 File:Emmanuel Macron August 2024.jpg Emmanuel Macron[58] Template:FRA President of France 6th invitationTemplate:NoteTag
2025 File:Prabowo Subianto 2024 official portrait.jpg Prabowo Subianto[59] Template:IDN President of Indonesia 4th invitation
2026 File:Ursula von der Leyen 2024.jpg Ursula von der Leyen Template:EU President of the European Commission Two guests[60]
File:Antonio Costa Portrait 2024 (cropped).jpg António Costa President of the European Council

Summary by continent and region

File:Countries invited as chief guest for India Republic Day parade.svg
Countries invited as chief guests for the Republic Day parade. European Union (once invited) and Yugoslavia (twice invited) has not been depicted in the map. Erstwhile Soviet Union is depicted as Russia.
Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend

By continent and geographic region, the invitations break up as follows:

Continent Region Invitations Countries
Asia (37) Southeast Asia 17 Brunei, Cambodia (twice), Indonesia (4 times), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore (twice), Thailand (twice), Vietnam (twice)
South Asia 12 Afghanistan, Bhutan (4 times), Maldives, Nepal (twice), Pakistan (twice), Sri Lanka (twice)
East Asia 4 China, Japan (twice), South Korea
West Asia 3 Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
Central Asia 1 Kazakhstan
Europe (26) Western Europe 13 Belgium, France (6 times), Ireland, United Kingdom (5 times)
Eastern Europe 8 Bulgaria, Poland, Soviet Union/Russia (4 times), Yugoslavia (twice)
Southern Europe 3 Greece, Portugal, Spain
Northern Europe 1 Denmark
European Union 1 European Union
Africa (12) Southern Africa 6 Mauritius (thrice), South Africa (twice), Zambia
North Africa 2 Algeria, Egypt
West Africa 2 Nigeria (twice)
East Africa 1 Tanzania
Central Africa 1 Zaire
America (8) South America 5 Argentina, Brazil (thrice), Peru
North America 2 Mexico, United States
Caribbean 1 Trinidad and Tobago
Oceania (1) Australasia 1 Australia

See also

Notes

Template:NoteFoot

References

  1. ↑ Republic Day Parade: Chief guests India hosted. The Hindu(2025-01-25). Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  2. ↑ Republic Day: How does India choose its chief guest for 26 January parade. www.bbc.com(2026-01-25). Retrieved 2026-01-25.
  3. ↑ Republic Day celebrations: President Pranab Mukherjee tweets images from 1950 onwards. The Economic Times(25 July 2017).
  4. ↑ King Tribhuvan of Nepal was the guest of honour for the Republic Day in 1951 #26Januarypic.twitter.com/piqaZUKolr, India, President of(18 January 2015).
  5. ↑ Selected works of Jawaharlal Nehru. claudearpi.net. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  6. ↑ DAWN - Features; 31 January, 2005(31 January 2005).
  7. ↑ [{{{url}}} REPUBLIC DAY IN DELHI: Parade In Heart Of City]. The Times of India(22 January 1956).
  8. ↑ Zhukov At India's National Day Aka Zhukov – India (1957), British Pathé(13 April 2014).
  9. ↑ India & China, 1904–2004: A century of peace and conflict{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Manak Publications(1 January 2005). ISBN 9788178271125
  10. ↑ In India, they have been celebrating Republic Day. After the parade...(6 December 2013).
  11. ↑ Archived copy. mealib.nic.in. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  12. ↑ Duke Popular Everywhere (1959), British Pathé(13 April 2014).
  13. ↑ Dr. Rajendra Prasad: Correspondence and Select Documents{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Allied Publishers(1984). ISBN 9788170230021
  14. ↑ Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, News Photo, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth be. Timescontent.com(26 January 1961). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  15. ↑ Archived copy. mealib.nic.in. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  16. ↑ Indian Information{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}(1962)
  17. ↑ Republic Celebration (1964), British Pathé(13 April 2014).
  18. ↑ Archived copy. mealib.nic.in. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  19. ↑ visit to New Delhi of Mr Kosygin on the occasion of Republic Day – Google zoeken(2 November 2013). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  20. ↑ Asian Recorder({Template:Year).
  21. ↑ Archived copy. mealib.nic.in. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  22. ↑ Link: Indian Newsmagazine{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}(25 July 1970)
  23. ↑ India({Template:Year).
  24. ↑ Foreign Affairs Record({Template:Year).
  25. ↑ The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who({Template:Year).
  26. ↑ Indian and Foreign Review({Template:Year).
  27. ↑ Lok Sabha Debates: 13th Session{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Lok Sabha Secretariat(20 February 1975)
  28. ↑ Interview given by Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic, to the Indian weekly magazine "India Today" – la France en Australie. www.ambafrance-au.org. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  29. ↑ The Eastern Economist({Template:Year).
  30. ↑ Patrick J. Hillery. Clarelibrary.ie. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  31. ↑ Bilateral Visits. Hcindia-au.org. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  32. ↑ MEA | MEA Links : Indian Missions Abroad. Mealib.nic.in(23 September 2013). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  33. ↑ MEA | MEA Links : Indian Missions Abroad. Mealib.nic.in(23 September 2013). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  34. ↑ MEA | MEA Links : Indian Missions Abroad. Mealib.nic.in(23 September 2013). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  35. ↑ MEA | MEA Links : Indian Missions Abroad. Mealib.nic.in(23 September 2013). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  36. ↑ India Argentina Relations. Mea.gov.in. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  37. ↑ Annual Report 2000–2001. Mea.gov.in. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  38. ↑ meacommunity.org. meacommunity.org. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  39. ↑ meacommunity.org. meacommunity.org. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  40. ↑ meacommunity.org. meacommunity.org. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  41. ↑ Choosing R-Day chief guest: Behind the warm welcome, a cold strategy. www.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  42. ↑ 42.00 42.01 42.02 42.03 42.04 42.05 42.06 42.07 42.08 42.09 42.10 42.11 42.12 42.13 42.14 42.15 42.16 42.17 Choosing R-Day chief guest: Behind the warm welcome, a cold strategy. Indian Express(25 January 2010). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  43. ↑ "General South African History timeline" sahistory.org.za Accessed on 13 June 2008.
  44. ↑ Choosing R-Day chief guest: Behind the warm welcome, a cold strategy. Indian Express(25 January 2010). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  45. ↑ Indonesian President next R-Day parade chief guest – Rediff.com India News. News.rediff.com. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  46. ↑ Indonesian President next R-Day parade chief guest – Rediff.com India News. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  47. ↑ Thai PM to be chief guest on India's Republic Day(20 January 2012). Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  48. ↑ India invites King of Bhutan as chief guest at Republic Day celebrations. Ibnlive.in.com(26 January 2013). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  49. ↑ India likely to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as Republic Day chief guest : India, News – India Today. Indiatoday.intoday.in(29 October 2013). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  50. ↑ Obama in India joins Modi at Delhi Republic Day parade. BBC News(26 January 2015).
  51. ↑ French President Hollande invited as Republic Day guest(22 November 2015).
  52. ↑ Abu Dhabi Crown Prince to be chief guest on Republic Day(2 October 2016).
  53. ↑ India to invite heads of 10 Asean nations for Republic Day celebrations – Times of India. The Times of India(25 January 2018).
  54. ↑ South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa accepts PM Modi's invite, to be 2019 Republic Day chief guest. www.hindustantimes.com(1 December 2018).
  55. ↑ Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale: PM had a number of bilateral engagements this morning.Argentina PM is keen to make a visit to India in 2019. PM extended South Africa Pres Cyril Ramaphosa invitation to be chief guest for India's Republic Day in 2019& Ramaphosa accepted.#G20Summitpic.twitter.com/DinFx7zdTV(1 December 2018).
  56. ↑ PM Modi to hold talks with Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro in New Delhi today. All India Radio. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  57. ↑ Egypt's president to be chef guest at Republic Day Celebration. www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  58. ↑ French President Macron to be chief guest for 2024 Republic Day parade. Hindustan Times(2023-12-23). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  59. ↑ Indonesian President to be chief guest at Republic Day celebrations. The Hindu(16 January 2025). Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  60. ↑ EU leaders Von der Leyen, António Costa to be chief guests at Republic Day 2026, says report. Mint(18 December 2025). Retrieved 3 January 2026.
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