Republic Day Chief Guests

One of the major national holidays of India, Republic Day is celebrated to remember the transition of India into a republic nation and the implementation of the Constitution of India on January 26th, 1950. A grand event is organized in the capital of New Delhi, wherein the President hoists and unfurls the Indian flag, which is followed by a massive parade. India welcomes a different chief guest every year to witness its Republic Day celebrations. The honorable chief guest is the head of state or government of another country. The guest is chosen on the basis of certain factors, be it, strategic, diplomatic, business interest or international geo-politics. Given in this article is the list of the chief guests that have attended the Republic Day program since 1976 in the capital city of New Delhi.

List of Chief Guests At Republic Day

1976: Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, France
1978: President Dr. Patrick Hillery, Ireland
1980: President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, France
1985: President Raul Alfonsin, Argentina
1986: Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, Greece
1987: President Alan Garcia, Peru
1988: President Junius Jayewardene, Sri Lanka
1992: President M�rio Soares, Portugal
1993: Prime Minister John Major, United Kingdom
1994: Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Singapore
1995: President Nelson Mandela, South Africa
1996: President Dr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Brazil
1997: Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, Trinidad and Tobago
1998: President Jacques Chirac, France
1999: King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Nepal
2000: President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria
2001: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algeria
2002: President Cassam Uteem ,Mauritius
2003: President Mohammed Khatami, Iran
2004: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil
2005: King Jigme Singye Wangchuk, Bhutan
2006: King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, Saudi Arabia
2007: President Vladimir Putin, Russia
2008: President Nicolas Sarkozy, France
2009: President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan
2010: President Lee Myung bak, Republic of Korea