After witnessing the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path, where India’s military might and rich, diverse cultural heritage were showcased, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, one of the two chief guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations held on Monday, said a successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure.
For almost the entire duration of the 90-minute parade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi explained to the European Union (EU) leadership of von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, who stood on either side of him, the significance of each passing contingent and tableau.
Usually, during the Republic Day parade, only the President of India remains standing to salute the passing contingents, while the Prime Minister and visiting guests are seated. On Monday, however, Modi, along with the two chief guests -- von der Leyen, dressed in a Banarasi gold bandhgala jacket, and Costa -- stood on the dais as they watched the display. The parade also highlighted India’s strategic autonomy, as it comprised fighter jets, helicopters, military transport aircraft and missile systems from France, the US and Russia.
The PM later said the presence of von der Leyen and Costa “underscores the growing strength of the India–European Union partnership and our commitment to shared values”, and adds momentum to the deepening engagement and cooperation between India and Europe across diverse sectors.
The three leaders will chair the 16th India-EU Summit on Tuesday, where the two sides are expected to announce the conclusion of negotiations on a free-trade agreement, and also ink pacts to deepen defence and security partnership, mobility and information sharing.
Von der Leyen posted on social media after the ceremony: “It is the honour of a lifetime to be chief guests at the Republic Day celebrations. A successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure. And we all benefit.”
She said Europe and India are the world’s largest democracies, committed to working together to shape a new global order. “This is why we are here to take our partnership to new heights,” she said.
The parade featured an EU military contingent comprising four flag bearers carrying the flag of the EU, the flag of the EU Military Staff, that of the EU Naval Force Atalanta, which spearheads the EU’s naval diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific and is involved in maritime security, and that of the EU Naval Force Aspides, an EU military operation to protect international shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi rebels.
“The display of the flags of the EU, the EU Military Staff, and our maritime missions ATALANTA and ASPIDES at India’s Republic Day is a powerful symbol of our deepening security cooperation. It will culminate tomorrow in the signature of our Security and Defence Partnership,” von der Leyen said.
Apart from facilitating greater defence collaboration between the two sides, including jointly developing and manufacturing defence equipment, the security and defence pact will focus on the security of the Indo-Pacific. The EU signed similar agreements with Japan and South Korea in November 2024. The Japan-EU Summit in Brussels in July 2023 recognised that the security of Europe and that of the Indo-Pacific are closely interlinked.
In his social media posts, Costa pointed to India-EU cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. “Good to see a contingent representing the EU,” he said, adding that it is “an opportunity to recall the importance of the action of the EU Naval Forces Atalanta and Aspides to enhance maritime security and protect the freedom of navigation, in particular in the Indo Pacific.”
Incidentally, Costa, a former Prime Minister of Portugal from 2015 to 2024, is of Indian origin. Modi presented Costa with an Overseas Citizen of India card when they met in Lisbon in June 2017. At that event, Modi described him as representing “the best of the Indian diaspora across the world”. When Costa visited India in January 2017, the Portuguese novel Signo da Ira, set in Goa and authored by his father, was translated into English and released during the visit.
On the eve of Republic Day, von der Leyen said: “India and Europe have made a clear choice.” She added: “The choice of strategic partnership, dialogue and openness, leveraging our complementary strengths, and building mutual resilience. We are showing a fractured world that another way is possible.”
It was the first time that two top leaders of the EU attended India’s Republic Day celebrations as chief guests.
The proposed India-EU Security and Defence Partnership will bring interoperability in the defence domain and open avenues for Indian firms to participate in the EU’s SAFE (Security Action for Europe) programme, a €150 billion financial instrument designed to provide financial support to member states to speed up defence readiness.
The two sides are also set to sign a Security of Information Agreement to boost industrial defence cooperation, and a framework agreement to facilitate the mobility of Indian workers to Europe. The EU has said the leadership will also discuss the Russia-Ukraine war and the situation in West Asia.
The defence and security pact is likely to allow Indian participation in European defence initiatives, provide for an annual defence and security dialogue, and for deepening cooperation on maritime security, cyber issues, and counterterrorism.
European Commission’s Vice President Kaja Kallas and EU’s Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič were also at Kartavya Path to witness the parade held under the overarching theme of commemorating 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram, and highlighted the success of Operation Sindoor and the government’s efforts towards atmanirbharta, or self-reliance.
 "Republic Day: India wows EU leaders with its military might, rich heritage")
