India marks Republic Day with a large military parade in New Delhi, on Monday, January 26.

The ceremony takes place along Kartavya Path, where thousands of troops are set to march alongside armoured vehicles, military bands and ceremonial floats, as fighter jets fly overhead.

The parade is presided over by President Droupadi Murmu, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa attending as chief guests.

Republic Day commemorates the adoption of India’s Constitution on January 26, 1950, when the country formally became a republic. The date was chosen to honour January 26, 1930, when independence leaders first declared a pledge for complete self-rule under British colonial rule.

Although India gained independence in 1947, it initially remained under British legal structures.