India, Jan. 27 -- India on Monday showcased its economic progress, cultural diversity and military prowess, which included indigenously developed platforms and various weapons used during Operation Sindoor on the occasion of the 77 th Republic Day celebrations at the Kartavya Path. The overarching theme of the 90-minute parade was 150 years of Vande Matram.

President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, graced the celebrations as chief guests.The parade commenced with President Droupadi Murmu, supreme commander of the armed forces, taking the salute shortly after she, Costa and von der Leyen, flanked by the Indian president's bodyguards, arrived at the Kartavya Path in a ...