French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in India Thursday to attend the Republic Day 2024 Parade as its chief guest.

Macron landed in Jaipur Thursday afternoon. His visit caps the 25th-anniversary celebrations of the India-France Strategic Partnership.

Ahead of the French president’s visit, the pink city of Jaipur has been decked up.

Macron’s state visit marks France’s sixth participation, the highest of any other nation, as chief guest on India’s Republic Day. Furthermore, it comes months after PM Modi’s Paris trip on France’s Bastille Day on 14 July, 2023.

LIVE Update of France PM Emmanuel Macron’s India visit

08:05 PM (IST): French President India visit Live Updates: PM Modi gifted a replica of Ram Mandir to Macron in Jaipur.

07:00 PM (IST): Prime Minister Narendra Modi explains the UPI digital payments system to French President Emmanuel Macron during their visit to Jaipur, Rajasthan

07:00 PM (IST): French President India visit Live Updates: PM Modi, Macron visit Hawa Mahal in Jaipur

06:45 PM (IST): Emmanuel Macron India visit Live Updates: PM Modi, French President hold a roadshow in Jaipur

06:19 PM (IST): PM Modi and French President Macron visit Jantar Mantar, the famous solar observatory established by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, in Rajasthan’s Jaipur

05:49 PM (IST): PM Modi and French President Macron will visit the Jantar Mantar, the famous solar observatory established by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in Jaipur today. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2010. It includes a set of eighteen instruments and is the biggest stone observatory in the world. It consists of various instruments which include the Laghu Samrat Yantra which is a Sun Dial that can help to calibrate local time to an accuracy of 20 seconds.

05:30 PM (IST): French President Emmanuel Macron interacts with Indian students at Amber Fort in Jaipur

04:37 PM (IST): PM Modi reaches Jaipur to meet French President Macron

04:34 PM (IST): WATCH: Macron interacts with dignitaries during his visit to Amer Fort in Jaipur

04:12 PM (IST): Macron appreciates Rajasthani painting art, interacts with artists, at Jaipur’s Amber Fort

04:00 PM (IST): At Amber Fort, Macron is accompanied by EAM Jaishankar and Rajasthan Deputy CM Diya Kumari

03:58 PM (IST): On 26 January, Macron will attend the Republic Day parade and attend reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Later, he will attend the State Banquet, at the invitation of the President of India Droupadi Murmu

03:55 PM (IST): Macron has previously been in India on a state visit in March 2018 and on an official visit in September 2023 for the G20 Summit in New Delhi

03:53 PM (IST): PM Modi and Macron will hold in-depth bilateral talks in Jaipur later on Thursday

03:50 PM (IST): At Amber Fort, Macron met school students gathered there to welcome him

03:47 PM (IST): French President Emmanuel Macron receives a traditional welcome at Amer Fort in Jaipur

03:45 PM (IST): According to reports, Macron will spend few moments of his stay in Jaipur savouring the sites – and perhaps some roadside chai – before engaging in talks with PM Modi. Details made available by officials earlier suggest the French leader is also expected to do some shopping in the touristy area

03:40 PM (IST): Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma shared pictures of him “warmly welcoming and felicitating” Macron at Jaipur airport today

03:30 PM (IST): Macron had accepted the last minute invite for the Republic Day 2024 celebration, which is seen as a mark on the strength of the bilateral relations between India and France

03:28 PM (IST): Macron India Visit Day 1 Schedule

On the first day, the French President will be in Rajasthan’s Jaipur

02:30 pm: Arrival at Jaipur airport

03:15 pm: Visit Amer Fort

05:30 pm: Visit Jantar Mantar

06:00 pm: Shobha Yatra (Venue: Jantar Mantar)

06:15 pm:  Visit Hawa Mahal

07:15 pm: Meeting with PM Modi (Venue: Hotel Taj Rambagh Palace)

08:50 pm: Emplane for Delhi

9:40 pm: Arrive Delhi (Venue: Air Force Station Palam)

03:26 PM (IST): Macron’s visit comes as the Centre and the French government continue to negotiate multi-billion dollar deals for French fighter jets and submarines for the army

03:22 PM (IST): France is eyeing lucrative trade deals with India, world’s fifth-biggest economy (AFP)

03:21 PM (IST): A red carpet welcome including a parade of decorated elephants awaited Macron after landing in Jaipur, AFP report said

03:19 PM (IST): Macron and PM Modi will hold a road show from Jantar Mantar to Hawa Mahal before holding a meeting at Hotel Rambagh Palace Thursday evening

03:18 PM (IST): Both Macron and PM Modi are scheduled to visit Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal

03:10 PM (IST): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit to Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, will also reach Jaipur later today

03:05 PM (IST): Macron was received by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma at the Jaipur airport

02:56 PM (IST): French President Macron arrives in Jaipur, Rajasthan as part of his two-day State visit to India