Mach 5 & Vande Mataram! India’s hypersonic roar on 77th Republic Day

India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2026, are set to acquire major diplomatic weight, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa confirmed as chief guests at the parade on Kartavya Path in New Delhi. It will be the first time that the European Union’s top leadership has been invited together for the occasion, underscoring a notable shift in India’s engagement with Brussels.

The move is being viewed as a strong signal of New Delhi’s evolving foreign policy priorities, particularly its growing recognition of the European Union as a unified strategic partner rather than a collection of individual nations. The invitation also comes at a sensitive moment, as India and the EU seek to push forward long-pending trade negotiations.

The 2026 invitation is historic on multiple counts. While India has hosted world leaders from across continents as Republic Day chief guests over the decades, this marks the first time that the EU’s highest political offices will be represented collectively at the event.