Emmanuel Macron, President of France, received the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 to attend the 75th Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest.
https://dpl.rashtrapatibhavan.gov
On the occasion of India's 77th Republic Day on January 26, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited European Council President António Luís Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to visit India from January 25 to 27. The two leaders would be the chief guests for the national celebration.
Meanwhile, here's a look at previous chief guests who have graced their presence on Indian Republic Day since PM Modi-led BJP formed came into power in the Centre.
2025 - Prabowo Subianto (Indonesia)
Prabowo Subianto.
Wikipedia
Last year, President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto marked his visit to New Delhi as Chief Guest for India's 76th Republic Day. It was his first visit to the country after becoming the president in October 2024.
2024 - Emmanuel Macron (France)
Emmanuel Macron.
Wikipedia
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, received the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 to attend the 75th Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest. Macron's visit was recorded amidst the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership.
2023 - Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (Egypt)
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Wikipedia
In 2023, the R-Day event in India was carried out in the presence of President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the chief guest for the celebration.
2021 and 2022
Britain's PM Boris Johnson was expected to witness the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, India as the chief guest in 2021. However, he cancelled his trip to India reportedly due to the coronavirus pandemic. Also, in 2022, amidst the global virus outbreak and restricted travel SOPs, R-Day celebrations in India didn't have a chief guest.
2020 - Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil)
Jair Bolsonaro. Wikipedia
It was in 2020 that India extended its annual Republic Day chief guest invitation to then Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. He was in the country from January 24-27 along with his seven Ministers, Chairman of Brazil-India Friendship Group in the Brazilian Parliament, senior officials and a large business delegation.
2019 - Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa)
Cyril Ramaphosa. Wikipedia
Once Nelson Mandela (1995), and years later in 2019, another South African leader—President Cyril Ramaphosa—was received as the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations. Recently, PM Modi was welcomed by Cyril Ramaphosa at the the G20 Summit held in Johannesburg in November 2025.
2018
Not one or two, this year saw multiple members joining the Republic Day celebrations. India invited dignitaries from 10 member nations of ASEAN - Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei - were invited as chief guests.
2017 - Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (UAE)
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Linkedin/HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Acknowledging India-UAE relations, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was invited as the Republic Day chief guest in 2017. He is currently the president of the UAE.
2016 - Francois Hollande (France)
Francois Hollande. Wikipedia
As a symbol of friendship and trust between the two countries, India welcomed President of France Francois Hollande as the Chief Guest at India's 67th Republic Day celebrations in 2016. Hollande's visit to India came nine months after PM Modi's successful visit to France in April 2015.
2015 - Barack Obama
L-R: PM Modi, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama.
Obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/Pete Souza
In 2015, Barack Obama became the first US president to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations as chief guest, arriving at Rajpath alongside First Lady Michelle Obama.
Notably, India’s Republic Day has also hosted leaders from Pakistan in its early years—then Governor-General Malik Ghulam Muhammad in 1955 and Food and Agriculture Minister Rana Abdul Hamid in 1965—while more recent high-profile guests have included Russia’s Vladimir Putin in 2007 and Japan’s Shinzo Abe in 2014.