The 77th Republic Day Parade, on January 26, 2026, will be marked by several firsts in New Delhi where India will display some of its newly developed military capabilities, newly raised units and even animal contingents of their own along Kartavya Path.
The native rocket launcher Suryastra, which is used on long-range surface to surface strikes of up to 300 kilometres, will also be on display at the parade, the first time. The system will be component of the Army modernisation of long-range firepower and will roll down the ceremonial boulevard as a recently added “phased battle array formation.
The other significant introduction will be a new unit found under the name Bhairav Light Commando Battalion which is a new unit raised to fill the functional gap between the ordinary infantry and the special forces. This is the first time the battalion which was raised around October last year and took part in the Army Day Parade earlier this month in Jaipur will be seen on the national stage.
The 61 Cavalry regiment, which is the prestigious one, will also see a major transformation in the parade. The mounted soldiers of the armed forces traditionally being the first to adorn their party with ceremonial dress and unique headgear will now be seen in battle dress this year.
According to the officials, this change is aimed at portraying a more functional and combat-fitted image of the Army at the parade.
The Shaktiban Regiment of the artillery arm will have its first appearance in another first. The new regiment also uses drones, counter-drone and loitering munitions, which underscores the increased contributions of unmanned systems and the current technologies of the battlefield to the defence policy of India.
Chief of Staff, Delhi Area, Major General Navraj Dhillon, indicated that some 6,000 defence people will participate in the parade. Overall, there will be 18 marching groups and 13 bands that are expected to perform at the event, and it is likely to be approximately 90 minutes.
Another innovations of the Army will be the new format of presentation of its equipment. The significant native war bases will come in phases of battle formation with troops in fighting uniforms.
This implies that the presentation will be similar to the layout of the units in the field of a real battle, starting with reconnaissance units and then combat and support units. The leaders explained that the approach is aimed at making the parade more dynamic and realistic to the viewers.
Some of the biggest defence systems exhibited will be the BrahMos missile system, Akash air defence system, Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile system, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System, Dhanush artillery gun and Shaktiban. The showcase will also include a stagnant exhibition of different drones.
A strange attraction of this year will be the animal contingent consisting of Zanskar ponies, Bactrian camels, Army dogs and trained raptors. The contingent will be led by captain Harshita Raghav of the Remount Veterinary Corps.
She told her that the party will consist of two Bactrian camels, four Zanskar ponies, four birds of prey and some Army dogs. She had called them silent warriors, said they are essential elements of operations, and force multipliers in difficult environments.
The first mixed scouts contingent in heavy thermal will also take part in the show, an indicator of the readiness of the Army to operate in harsh weather conditions.
The air show will be organized in two parts and will include 29 planes. These are Rafale and Su-30 fighter jets, MiG-29 airplanes, P- 8 I sea patrol jets, Apache attack helicopters, Light Combat Helicopters, Advanced Light helicopters, Mi-17 aircrafts, and transport aircrafts like C-130 and C-295, flying in different formations.
The international presence in this year parade will also be very high. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, President of the European Council will both be major guests. The event will also comprise a small European Union delegation headed by an officer of colonel rank and flag-bearers.
The program will start with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving tributes at the National War Memorial. The Parade Commander will be Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area. His son Ahaan Kumar, is captain of the 61 cavalry, and this will be a family service.
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This is the major theme of the Republic Day celebrations this year; 150 years of Vande Mataram with a combination of military power and historical and cultural pride as India celebrates another year as a republic.
