French President Emmanual Macron will be the chief guest for the occasion on Friday, 26 January, as India is all set to celebrate its 75th Republic Day. Macron will be on a two-day tour to India starting 25 January.
Macron will land in Jaipur on 25 January and tour Amber Fort, and interact with artisans and students. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive him, and the two leaders will visit a few landmarks of the Pink City, including Jantar Mantar.
The two state heads will hold in-depth bilateral talks, including defence and strategic sectors.
As strategic partners, India and France share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues. This year, the two countries will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership.
France and India are key partners in contributing to international peace and security, especially in the Indo-Pacific Region.
The talks would also focus and highlight the initiatives fostering student mobility, supporting President Macron’s announcement that France seeks to welcome 30,000 Indian students by 2030.
Business ties and cross-investments will also be promoted during the visit. There are reports that Modi and Macron will also participate in a joint roadshow.
The two leaders will then leave for New Delhi on the same day.
A home reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan is scheduled and, later, the State Banquet at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu.
President Macron was previously in India on a state visit in March 2018 and an official visit in September 2023 for the Delhi G20 Summit.
This visit will mark France’s sixth participation as chief guest of India’s Republic Day, the highest of any other nation. It also comes just months after Prime Minister Modi's Paris trip on France’s Bastille Day on 14 July 2023.
The Republic Day invite was extended to the French President soon after US President Joe Biden was unable to accept New Delhi's invitation.
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