Republic Day 2026 parade blends cultural pageantry with military prowess; Operation Sindoor, Drone Shakti, Rafale flypast steal the show
Droupadi Murmu receives the salute from the armed forces during a multi-layered display showcasing India’s latest defence capabilities at the 77th Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Monday. PM Narendra Modi with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and one of the chief guests for the celebrations, is seen in the inset.
Chief guests from EU attend; President’s Republic Day eve address urges citizens to strengthen constitutional ideals
New Delhi: The 77th Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path on Monday combined a carefully curated cultural narrative celebrating 150 years of Vande Mataram with a full-spectrum display of India’s defence modernisation, as tens of thousands of spectators watched contingents, tableaux and aerial formations pass the saluting dais.
President Droupadi Murmu, who addressed the nation on the eve of Republic Day, framed the day as a reminder of the Constitution’s ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity and urged citizens to work together with the spirit of “nation first” to build a Viksit Bharat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the address as an inspiration for citizens to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening democracy.
Cultural tableaux and the message of Vande Mataram
This year’s parade emphasised the sesquicentennial celebrations of Vande Mataram, with tableaux and backdrop art drawing on historic paintings and regional cultural traditions. State tableaux spotlighted folk arts, craftsmanship and ecological themes, while dance and music contingents — including a Mohiniyattam performance by a troupe from Nagpur — underlined the parade’s Jan-bhagidari (public participation) theme. European Council and European Commission dignitaries were among the chief guests at the event.
Defence display: Operation Sindoor, Drone Shakti and new systems on parade
The armed forces showcased their latest capabilities in a multi-layered display. A tri-services tableau titled “Operation Sindoor: Victory Through Jointness” featured prominently, and indigenous systems such as Divyastra and Shaktibaan were driven past the saluting base. The parade included battle tanks, Apache and Dhruv helicopters, and a first-of-its-kind phased “battle array” formation for the army that incorporated an aerial element and high-mobility reconnaissance platforms. The Integrated Operation Centre’s Drone Shakti demonstration and swarm-drone capabilities drew particular attention as a sign of India’s growing focus on niche unmanned systems.
The air display ended with a dramatic flypast — a formation including Rafale fighters, Sukhoi and MiG-29 jets — that capped the aerial segment and drew applause from the crowd.
Gallantry honour and veterans’ recognition
At the ceremonial function, President Murmu presented honours including the Ashoka Chakra; Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, noted for his role as pilot on India’s recent Axiom mission to the International Space Station (ISS), was among the recipients of high peacetime gallantry recognition. The Republic Day list of Padma awards — announced on the eve of Republic Day — included 131 recipients across Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri categories, headlined by Dharmendra (posthumous) and dignitaries from cinema, music and industry such as Mammootty, Alka Yagnik and Uday Kotak.
Security, crowd management and public mood
Security arrangements across central Delhi were tightened with multiple cordons and a visible presence of police and paramilitary forces; traffic diversions were in place from the early hours. Large crowds — families, school groups and diplomatic delegations — assembled along Kartavya Path and surrounding vantage points, greeting the parade with the familiar mix of pride and patriotic fervour that marks the annual event. Live updates reported orderly crowds and enthusiastic reception for both the cultural and defence displays.
The 2026 Republic Day programme balanced historical memory, cultural diversity and a manifest of modern defence capability. The prominence given to Vande Mataram as a unifying cultural motif, coupled with the public reveal of new indigenous defence platforms and drone tactics, underlined a twin narrative: one of civilisational continuity and one of technological self-reliance. Officials and commentators noted that the parade also served as a platform to communicate recent operational successes and the country’s growing role in global security dialogues.
