Why India Invited EU Leaders as Republic Day Chief Guests

India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations will carry an unmistakable diplomatic signal. European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will jointly serve as Chief Guests, underscoring the growing strategic weight of the India–EU partnership.

The two EU leaders will be on a three-day State Visit from January 25 to 27, during which they will also co-chair the 16th India–EU Summit in New Delhi. The visit blends symbolism with substance—ceremony on Rajpath, negotiations in conference rooms.

During their stay, President da Costa and President von der Leyen will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold both restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An India–EU Business Forum is also expected on the sidelines, reflecting the commercial urgency underpinning the visit.

The timing is critical. India and the European Union are in advanced negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement, one of the most ambitious trade pacts India has pursued. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that 20 of the 24 FTA chapters have already been finalised, with negotiations continuing on the remaining issues.

“Both sides are virtually engaged on a day-to-day basis,” Agrawal said, adding that officials are pushing to see whether meaningful progress can be achieved before the leaders meet. He cautioned, however, that proximity to a deadline alone is not enough, substantive closure remains key.

Momentum has clearly picked up. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s recent visit to Brussels, where he held talks with EU counterparts, marked another step forward in the negotiations. Officials on both sides have signalled a shared intent to accelerate talks, even as sensitive issues remain unresolved.

India and the EU have been strategic partners since 2004, but ties have deepened markedly in recent years, especially after the historic visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India in February, a move seen as a strong political endorsement of the relationship.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the decision to invite the EU’s top leadership as Republic Day Chief Guests reflects India’s desire to advance collaboration in priority areas of mutual interest, including trade, technology, climate action and geopolitics.

In diplomatic terms, the message is clear: as global supply chains realign and geopolitical fault lines sharpen, India is positioning the European Union as a central pillar of its long-term strategic and economic calculus.

(ANI is the content partner for this story)