How India chooses its chief guest for Republic Day
What's the story
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will be the chief guest at India's 75th Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2025. Subianto will embark on his inaugural visit to India as president from January 25 to 26. "India and Indonesia share warm and friendly ties spanning over millennia. The visit...will provide an opportunity for the leaders to undertake a comprehensive review of bilateral ties as well as to discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Selection process
The process behind selecting Republic Day's chief guest
The selection of a chief guest for Republic Day is a meticulous process that starts six months in advance. The MEA primarily handles this task, considering the state of bilateral ties between India and the guest's country. Economic, military, political, and commercial interests are all assessed before an invitation is sent. Another factor considered historically was the chief guest's membership in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Future plans
Indonesian president Sukarno was 1st chief guest
NAM was a global political movement that was established in 1961 by the newly liberated nations. Its objective was to support each other's nation-building efforts and avoid the Cold War tensions. This was demonstrated in 1950 when Sukarno, the president of Indonesia at the time and one of the founding members of the NAM, was chosen as India's first Republic Day chief guest.
Final decision
Final approval and significance of the invitation
Once a suitable candidate is found, their name is sent to the prime minister and president of India for approval. The final decision to invite the chosen dignitary as the chief guest is taken, which is a huge honor. For 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron was chosen because of strong India-France relations and his close bond with Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2018.