At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President of the European Council Antonio Luís Santos da Costa and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will pay a State Visit to India from January 25 to 27, 2026. The two leaders will attend the 77th Republic Day celebrations as Chief Guests, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday.
During their visit, President Costa and President von der Leyen will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold both restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Modi. They will also co-chair the 16th India-European Union Summit on January 27. An India-EU Business Forum is expected to be held on the sidelines of the summit to boost economic engagement.
India and the European Union have been strategic partners since 2004. Bilateral ties have expanded significantly in recent years, particularly after the visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India in February 2025. The last India-EU Summit was held virtually in July 2020.
The participation of EU leaders at Republic Day is seen as a strong signal of deepening strategic cooperation.
Notably, India did not invite any Chief Guest for Republic Day in 2021 and 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was the Chief Guest in 2023, followed by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2024 and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in 2025.
