Republic of India completes 75 years; parade to showcase military might, cultural heritage

India as a sovereign democratic republic completed 75 years of its eventful journey on Sunday, with the stage set at the Kartavya Path here for the ceremonial parade during which the country will showcase its military prowess and rich cultural heritage.

Besides VVIP dignitaries, members of the Paralympic contingent, sarpanches from top-performing villages, handloom artisans and forest and wildlife conservation workers are among the nearly 10,000 special guests who have been invited to witness the 76th Republic Day Parade.

President Droupadi Murmu will lead the nation in celebrating the momentous occasion and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will be the chief guest. A marching contingent and a band contingent from Indonesia will be participating in the parade.

The arrival of the president and her Indonesian counterpart will be escorted by the President’s Bodyguard, the senior most regiment of the Indian Army.

The two presidents will arrive in the ‘traditional buggy’, the practice which made a comeback in 2024 after a gap of 40 years, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday.

Subianto will be the fourth Indonesian president to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations. Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, was the chief guest at India’s first Republic Day celebrations in 1950.

While 75 years of the enactment of the Constitution is the focus of celebrations this year, the theme for the tableaux is ‘Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas’.

Also Read: A timeless spectacle: Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path

Sixteen tableaux from across states and Union Territories and 15 from central ministries, departments and organisations will roll down the ceremonial boulevard during the annual parade when India displays its military prowess and its journey as a republic.

The country is set to showcase some of cutting-edge defence platforms including BrahMos, Pinaka and Akash, with the Army’s Battle Surveillance System ‘Sanjay’ and DRDO’s surface-to-surface tactical missile ‘Pralay’ set to register their presence in the ceremonial parade for the first time.

T-90 ‘Bhishma’ tanks Sarath (infantry carrying vehicle BMP-II), Short Span Bridging System 10m, Nag Missile System, multi-barrel rocket launcher system ‘Agnibaan’ and ‘Bajrang’ (light specialist vehicle) will also be part of the parade, according to officials.

With the tableaux theme being ‘Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas’, during the parade, India will also display a symbolic confluence of ‘virasat’ and ‘vikas’ on Kartavya Path to mark the 76th Republic Day as the nation commemorates the platinum jubilee of the enactment of the Constitution. This January 26 will thus carry an extra significance.

The Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949 and came into effect on January 26, 1950.

Before the parade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the nation in paying tribute to the country’s martyrs by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial.

The parade will begin in the morning with the National Salute and will continue for 90 minutes, reflecting the journey of India’s heritage and growth.

The ceremonial parade will be heralded by 300 cultural artistes playing ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha’ on musical instruments representing different parts of the country, according to the Defence Ministry.

Lt Gen Bhavnish Kumar, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area will be the Parade Commander, while Parade Second-in-Command will be Chief of Staff (COS), Delhi Area, Maj Gen Sumit Mehta.

Two Param Vir Chakra awardees — Subedar Major & Honorary Captain Yogendra Singh Yadav (retd) and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar (retd), both Kargil war heroes — and Ashok Chakra awardee Lt Col Jas Ram Singh (retd) will be part of the parade, Maj Gen Mehta said on Thursday.

The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for the most conspicuous act of bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy, while the Ashok Chakra is awarded for similar acts of valour and self-sacrifice but, other than, in the face of the enemy.

The flypast will feature 40 Indian Air Force aircraft and three Dornier aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard.

The parade will see many other firsts as well, such as the tri-services tableau that will depict the spirit of “jointness” among the armed forces.

The tableau would display a battlefield scenario demonstrating a synchronised operation in land, water and air with the indigenous Arjun battle tank, Tejas fighter aircraft and advanced light helicopter, according to the Defence Ministry.

The theme of the tri-services tableau will be ‘Shashakt aur Surakshit Bharat’ (Strong and Secure India).

Besides, the DRDO will present a tableau with the theme ‘Raksha Kavach — multi-layer protection against multi-domain threats’, officials said.

The Indian Army will be represented by a mounted column, eight mechanised columns, and six marching contingents, officials said. The column will be represented by the 61 Cavalry.

In this year’s parade, 5,000 artistes will perform over 45 dance forms from different part of India in a 11-minute cultural performance titled ‘Jayati Jaya Mama Bharatam’.

For the first time, the performance will cover the entire Kartavya Path — from Vijay Chowk to C-Hexagon — to ensure all guests get the same viewing experience.

Finishing the ceremonial line-up will be Capt Ashish Rana, who will lead a contingent of daredevils from the Corps of Signals with Capt Dimple Singh Bhati, the second-in-line.