At the 76th Republic Day celebrations on Sunday in the national capital, Lt Ahaan Kumar will lead the contingent of the iconic 61 Cavalry on Kartavya Path, following in the footsteps of his father, who will serve as the Parade Commander.
Riding his Hanoverian charger, ‘Ranveer,’ the 25-year-old officer will helm the horse cavalry contingent, a distinguished feature of the Republic Day parade since its inception.
The 61st Cavalry is prominent as the leading contingent of the armed forces in the ceremonial parade.
Speaking to PTI ahead of the grand event, Lt Kumar shared his excitement about making his parade debut and upholding his family’s proud legacy.
Lt Ahaan Kumar is the third generation officer
Lt Ahaan Kumar shared with PTI, “I am a third-generation officer, and my father, he is the GOC, Delhi Area, he is leading the parade. My paternal grandfather (served in the 1965 war) and maternal grandfather (served in the 1965, 1971 wars), both were in the Army, and I always seen them as role models. And, I have continued the legacy of the family by joining the army.”
Lt Gen Bhavnish Kumar, the General Officer Commanding of the Delhi Area, will serve as the Parade Commander.
Lt Kumar described the experience as a “double honour,” as he will lead the 61 Cavalry contingent in the Republic Day parade, which is being commanded by his father.
The 61 Cavalry, based in Jaipur and raised in 1953, was formed through the amalgamation of units from six former royal state forces, including the Mysore Lancers, Jodhpur Lancers, and Gwalior Lancers.
Speaking about his participation, Lt Kumar said, “I am taking part in this parade for the first time. Of course, people wait for this contingent and accordingly we make preparations as well.”
Other officers taking part in the parade
Lt Cdr Saahil Ahluwalia, a second-generation naval officer currently serving at INS Mysore in Visakhapatnam, will participate in the Republic Day parade for the first time this year. Reflecting on the occasion, he shared, “It is a singular honour for me to be following in my father’s footsteps, as in 1991, he was also part of the naval contingent in the parade that year as a platoon commander.”
In the 2025 parade, Lt Cdr Ahluwalia will lead a naval contingent comprising 144 young members, marching shoulder to shoulder. Supporting him will be three platoon commanders: Lt Cdr Indresh Choudhary, Lt Cdr Kajal A Bharani, and Lt Devinder Kumar.
Capt Ritika Khareta, 25, will make her debut leading a contingent of the Corps of Signals. Speaking about the experience, she said, “I feel honoured and privileged to have been given this opportunity. The moment I step on Kartavya Path with the men behind me, shouting slogans of our regiment with full ‘josh’ and enthusiasm, we feel very excited to march down on Kartavya Path and salute our Supreme Commander.”
Capt Khareta will lead an all-male contingent, following in the footsteps of Capt Tania Shergill, who led an all-male contingent of the Corps of Signals in the 2020 Republic Day parade. Capt Khareta, a native of Delhi, shared that while her father is in the Delhi Police and her mother is a government school teacher, she is the first officer in her family. She noted that her great-grandfather, an honorary captain and Shaurya Chakra awardee from 3 Grenadiers, served in the Army.
The ceremonial line-up will conclude with Capt Ashish Rana leading a daredevils contingent of the Corps of Signals, alongside Capt Dimple Singh Bhati, who will follow as second-in-line. Capt Rana, who led the contingent in 2023, emphasized, “Fearlessness is inculcated in all of us.” This year, a “Bullet wheelie stunt” will debut on Kartavya Path as part of the parade.
Capt Bhati will create history by becoming the first woman Army officer to salute the President while riding a 12-foot ladder mounted on a moving motorcycle.
(With PTI inputs)