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List of Chief Guests on Republic Day Parade (1950-2024)

Chief Guests on Republic Day

List of Chief Guests on Republic Day: Since 1950, India has hosted heads of state or governments of numerous countries as the state guest of honour for Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. Between 1950 and 1954, Republic Day celebrations were staged in several locales, including Irwin Stadium, Kingsway, Red Fort, and Ramlila Maidan.

In its current form, the parade was originally organised at Rajpath (now Kartavya Path) in 1955. The guest nation is chosen after taking strategic, economic, and political factors into account. Between 1950 and 1970, India hosted a number of countries from the Eastern Bloc and the Non-Aligned Movement. In 1968 and 1974, India hosted two nations on the same Republic Day. Read this article to know the List of Chief Guests on the Republic Day Parade from 1950 to 2024.

Chief Guests on Republic Day 2024

Republic Day 2024 will witness the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron as the distinguished Chief Guest on Republic Day 2024. This marks the sixth occasion that a French leader has been invited to preside over the event. India is set to commemorate its 75th Republic Day on Friday, 26 January.

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List of Chief Guests on Republic Day (1950-2024)

The primary goals of inviting a foreign leader are to strengthen bilateral ties and demonstrate the rich diversity of Indian culture. So, here we are providing you with a List of Chief Guests on Republic Day from 1950 to 2024.

Republic Day Year Invited Guest and Country
1950 President Sukarno from Indonesia
1951 King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah the king of Nepal
1952 No invitation
1953 No invitation
1954 King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, the 3rd king of Bhutan
1955 Governor-General Malik Ghulam Muhammad of Pakistan
1956 Chancellor of the Exchequer R. A. Butler from the United Kingdom

Chief Justice Kotaro Tanaka from Japan

1957 Minister of Defence Georgy Zhukov
1958 Marshall Ye Jianying from China
1959 Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip from the United Kingdom
1960 President Kliment Voroshilov from USSR
1961 Queen Elizabeth II from the United Kingdom
1962 Prime Minister Viggo Kampmann from Denmark
1963 King Norodom Sihanouk from Combodia
1964 Chief of Defence Staff Lord Louis Mountbatten from the United Kingdom
1965 Rana Abdul Hamid (Food and Agriculture Minister) from Pakistan
1966 No invitation
1967 King Mohammed Zahir Shah from Afghanistan
1968 Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin from USSR

President Josip Broz Tito form SFR Yugoslavia

1969 Prime Minister of Bulgaria Todor Zhivkov
1970 King of the Belgians Baudouin of Belgium
1971 President Julius Nyerere, of Tanzania
1972 Prime Minister Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, of Mauritius
1973 President Mobutu Sese Seko, Zaire
1974 President Josip Broz Tito, SFR Yugoslavia

Prime Minister Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, Sri Lanka

1975 President Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia
1976 Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, France
1977 First Secretary Edward Gierek, Poland
1978 President Patrick Hillery, Ireland
1979 Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, Australia
1980 President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, France
1981 President José López Portillo, Mexico
1982 Spain’s King Juan Carlos I
1983 Nigerian President Shehu Shagari
1984 Bhutan’s King Jigme Singye Wangchuck
1985 Argentina’s President Ral Alfonsn
1986 Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou
1987 President Alan Garcia of Peru
1988 Sri Lankan President Junius Jayewardene
1989 Vietnam’s general secretary Nguyen Van Linh
1990 Mauritius’s Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth
1991 Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
1992 Portugal’s President Mário Soares
1993 British Prime Minister John Major
1994 Singapore’s Goh Chok Tong, Prime Minister
1995 South African President Nelson Mandela
1996 Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso
1997 Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Basdeo Panday
1998 French President Jacques Chirac
1999 Nepal’s King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev
2000 Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo
2001 Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
2002 Mauritius’s President Cassam Uteem
2003 Iranian President Mohammed Khatami
2004 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
2005 Bhutan’s King Jigme Singye Wangchuck
2006 Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud
2007 Russian President Vladimir Putin
2008 France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy
2009 Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev
2010 Lee Myung Bak, President of the Republic of Korea
2011 Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
2012 Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
2013 Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the monarch of Bhutan
2014 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
2015 American President Barack Obama
2017 United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed
2018
  • Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah sultan of Brunei
  • Joko Widodo president of Indonesia
  • Thongloun Sisoulith, president of Laos
  • Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia
  • Najib Razak, prime minister of Malaysia
  • President Htin Kyaw, Myanmar
  • Rodrigo Roa Duterte, president of the Philippines
  • Halimah Yacob, president of Singapore
  • Prayuth Chan-ocha, prime minister of Thailand
  • Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, president of Vietnam
2019 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
2020 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
2021 United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson postponed his visit.
2022 No Chief due to Covid-19
2023 Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
2024 French President Emmanuel Macron

Republic Day Chief Guest Chosen by Indian Government

The Indian government will send an invitation to either the Head of State or the Government six months before Republic Day, depending on the type of relationship India has with the pertinent nation. The Indian President and Indian Prime Minister’s approval is required before the invitation may be sent.

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Chief Guests on Republic Day FAQs

Which country has the largest constitution of the world?

The Indian Constitution has the longest written constitution of the world.

From which year Rajpath was selected as the regular venue for Republic Day?

Since, 1950 to 1954 the Republic Day was held at different places. In 1955, Rajpath was selected as the regular venue of Republic Day.

Who is the chief guest of 75th Republic Day?

French President Emmanuel Macron is the chief guest of 75th Republic Day 2024 celebrations.

Who was the chief guest on January 26 1950?

President Sukarno from Indonesia was the first chief guest in the first Republic Day in 1950.

Who was the chief guest in 1955 Republic Day?

Governor-General Malik Ghulam Muhammad of Pakistan was the chief guest in 1955 Republic Day

What is the theme for 2024 Republic Day?

The theme for 75th Republic Day 2024 is "India - Mother of Democracy" and "Viksit Bharat," that reflecting India's role as a democratic country and its progress.