French President Emmanuel Macron, the chief guest for this year’s Republic Day celebrations, arrived in Jaipur . He will be accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit to several heritage sites and a roadshow.
Macron is set to participate in the 75th Republic Day celebrations on Friday, marking the sixth time (the highest for any country) that a French leader has been part of India’s most significant traditional event. His visit aims to strengthen the ambitious renewal of India-France strategic cooperation, as decided by the two leaders in Paris on July 14 through the Horizon 2047 Roadmap. The roadmap focuses on three pillars: cooperation for security and sovereignty, cooperation for the earth, and cooperation for the people. Modi was previously in France last July as the guest of honor at the Bastille Day parade.
The French military contingent for the parade will include six Indian soldiers from the French Foreign Legion, a unit comprising foreign recruits in the service of France. This contingent will be part of the 95-member French military participating in the parade. Additionally, two Rafale fighters and an Airbus A330 MRTT (multi-role tanker transport) from the French Air Force will participate in the flypast, which will involve 56 Indian military aircraft, including 29 fighter jets. A 33-member band from France will also take part in the parade.
This visit by Macron is crucial as India is considering the purchase of 26 Rafale M fighters from France for its first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. There are also plans to build three more Scorpene-class submarines with technology from France, enhancing the Indian Navy’s undersea capabilities. The combined value of these two deals is estimated to be €9 billion to €10 billion.
Accompanying Macron is a ministerial delegation, including Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Sejourné, Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, and Culture Minister Rachida Dati. The delegation also comprises a C-level business delegation of French corporations, small and medium enterprises, midcaps, and distinguished personalities, including European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet.
The French delegation emphasized the strong and trust-based cooperation between France and India, particularly in defense, space exploration, and other areas. Macron’s visit aims to underline France’s commitment to creating more opportunities for Indian scholars, artists, investors, and tourists.
President Macron’s schedule in Delhi on January 26 includes an At Home event at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and a state banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu. This visit follows Macron’s earlier state visit to India in March 2018 and an official visit in September 2023 for the G20 Summit.
Mohan Kumar, a former Indian ambassador to France, highlighted the significance of Macron’s visit, emphasizing France’s unwavering commitment to strategic cooperation with India and Macron’s generosity in accepting the last-minute invitation to attend the Republic Day parade as the chief guest.
