Speech of Consul General, Mr. Lavanya Kumar at the

77^th Republic Day Celebration on 26 January 2026

Fellow citizens,

Indian diaspora members, and

Friends of India,

It is my privilege to welcome you all to the celebration of 77^th Republic Day of India. I extend my warm greetings and best wishes on this special occasion. Republic Day marks the adoption of our Constitution on 26 January 1950.

The Constitution provides all Indians an enabling framework to enjoy equal rights as citizens. It acts as a compass to guide the nation and gives us a collective identity as Indians.

This year’s Republic Day is a special occasion on many counts. We also celebrate 150 years of Vande Mataram song composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. The Consulate celebrated this momentous occasion with the Indian community in Milan. This year’s Republic Day celebration also marks a historic milestone in the India-European Union relations. The President of the European Commission, H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, H.E. Mr. António Costa, are the Guests of Honor for the 77^th Republic Day celebrations. It is for the first time that the two highest leaders of the EU jointly participated in this ceremony. The India-EU trade deal to be signed on 27 January will add a new momentum in our partnership.

Now, I will read out a few extracts from the Address to Nation by the Hon’ble President of India on the eve of this Republic Day.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the past year, we have undertaken several initiatives to make our consular services more accessible to the community. We have started organizing region-specific Consular Camps for the surrender of Indian passports by the diaspora who had acquired Italian citizenship. The Consulate extended various types of consular services to over 43,000 individuals in 2025. We have also introduced the same day delivery of various consular services. Along with our consular team, I have met community members in their cities and communes several times to understand their concerns and for the feedback on the service delivery.

The Indian diaspora can play a vital role in strengthening our cultural relations with Italy. I urge you to encourage your Italian friends to visit India to experience our rich cultural heritage. This will play a crucial role in strengthening people to people ties.

I wish you and your families again a happy Republic Day.

Jai Hind!

Thank you.

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