Fantastico Factors Of Delhi Republic Day Parade 2016

Indian Republic Day Parade 2016 had France President Francois Hollande as Guest of Honor

The fantastico factors at Republic Day Parade in Delhi included Narendra Modi's turban

Narendra Modi and Francois Hollande were sitting next to each other at Delhi Republic Day Parade 2016

There are many fantastico points of the Indian Republic Day Parade 2016. These points are worth mentioning. The foremost is France’s President Francois Hollande as the chief guest of honor for the event.  In fact, Hollande was here on a 3-day visit. It was an amazing event to witness Indian Military on the Republic Day Parade in Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Francois Hollande also celebrated Indian Constitution’s ceremony that came into existence in 1950. Around 20 agreements have been signed on Monday between French and Indian delegates. The most prominent one is fighting against terrorism in a collaborated manner. PM Narendra Modi expressed his desire to purchase Rafale fighter jets that are manufactured by Dassault Aviation situated in Paris. The deal is on the verge of finalization amidst closure of service and pricing factors.

Photo credit: Anoop Negi via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Before departing for France, Hollande had to join Indian President at Rashtrapati Bhawan. His 3-day visit started on Sunday with his arrival in Chandigarh. He was joined there by Narendra Modi. A deal has been struck where France will invest $1 billion every year in multiple Indian ventures. Chandigarh is quite close to France’s heart as its design was finalized in 1950 by none other than the prestigious architect Le Corbusier. France has committed to making Chandigarh as a smart city with a clear focus on the public transport system, effective sewage system and clean water availability to every citizen. The valuation of trade between India and France is a little less than $10 billion.

Despite severe cold, public started gathering a night before to witness the Republic Day parade in Delhi. Around 10,000 gathering was there to witness the parade. Security was already tightened for last week to ensure safety. The highlights of the parade were Indian Military, stunt riders, and camels. An exception this year was a foreign troop participating the annual Republic Day Parade. It was French infantry that is here already in India for a joint military exercise to combat global threats. The presence of French President as a guest of honor was a gesture of solidarity with both countries are affected by terrorist attacks. France suffered an Islamist attack last year in November with a casualty mounting to 130. India suffered a terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008. Around 170 people died in that attack. Both the countries have agreed to build a collaborative counter-terrorism mechanism. A recent attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot is a major point of concern on the global front.

Photo credit: Daniel Mennerich via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND

The 90-minute military and cultural shows demonstrated the great strength of mighty India. It displayed the diversity and unity. The dog squad show came back on the floor after 26 years. Camels, weaponry, armor and other cultural shows were eye-catching.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can  apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.