While a show of military strength is usually a male-dominated affair, several women-led presentations made their mark at the 73rd Republic Day parade on Wednesday, 26 January.
The country's first woman Rafale fighter jet pilot, Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh, stood proud on the Indian Air Force tableau that moved down the Rajpath.
Singh, who is from Varanasi, joined the IAF in 2017 and was commissioned in the IAF's second batch of women fighter pilots, news agency PTI reported. She had been flying MiG-21 Bison aircraft before the Rafale jet.
Lieutenant Preeti led the Indian Navy tableau at the Republic Day Parade, alongside Lt Mayank Bhagour.
A magnificent bike show by the women officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) was among the most lauded performances at the Republic Day parade this year.
The Seema Bhawani motorcycle team of the BSF displayed a number of bike formations.
An officer of the team held up a placard that carried the slogan, 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' ('Educate the Girl Child, Save the Girl Child').
Moreover, women empowerment was the theme of the tableau presented by the Indian Postal Department.
The annual procession that highlights India's cultural and military richness saw the tableaux presented by 12 states and 9 Union Ministries, and a grand 75-aircraft flypast by the Indian Air Force.
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