Republic Day: EU Chief's 'Brocade Bandhgala' Turns Heads Amid R-Day Celebrations At Kartavya Path

Republic Day Celebrations: Amid the Republic Day celebrations, the attire of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and chief guest of the occasion, caught everyone's attention. The European Commission president is known for her trademark tailored pantsuits at international events. However, von der Leyen was wearing a maroon-and-gold brocade bandhgala jacket with white trousers during the celebrations. The chief guest's attire displayed a combination of traditional Indian design and European style. Earlier last week, von der Leyen stated that India and the European Union will soon sign a historic trade agreement.

Von der Leyen witnessed the grand parade alongside President Droupadi Murmu and European Council President António Luís Santos da Costa, another chief guest for the event. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she asserted that a stable India makes the world a better place. "It is the honor of a lifetime to be chief guests at the Republic Day celebrations. A successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous, and secure," she stated in her post.

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India and the European Union are set to sign a "historic" trade deal in the upcoming days. New Delhi is set to cut import tariffs on the cars manufactured in Europe from over 100 per cent to as low as 40 per cent, reported Moneycontrol, citing sources. Days before her trip, von der Leyen stated that India and the European Union will sign a historic deal soon.

"I will travel to India. There is still work to do. But we are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement. Some call it the mother of all deals. One that would create a market of 2 billion people, accounting for almost a quarter of global GDP," she asserted at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

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"And, crucially, that would provide a first-mover advantage for Europe with one of the world's fastest-growing and most dynamic continents. Europe wants to do business with the growth centres of today and the economic powerhouses of this century," she added.