Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, son of the UAE’s founding President and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi was the Chief Guest at the 68th Republic Day celebrations.
Bilateral trade, valued at $ 180 million per annum in the 1970s, with UAE is now around $ 50 billion.
This makes the UAE India’s third largest trading partner for 2015-16 after China and the US.
The UAE is India’s second largest export destination, with exports of over $ 30 billion in 2015-16.
For the UAE, India was the biggest trade partner in 2015 — over $ 28 billion in non-oil trade.
As of March 2016, the estimated investment of the UAE in India is $ 8 billion - around $ 4.03 billion is Foreign Direct Investment, the rest is portfolio investment.
The UAE is the tenth biggest investor in India in terms of FDI.
This marks the first time a leader who is neither a Head of State nor Head of Government is Chief Guest.
MBZ, as the Crown Prince is popularly known, is the next generation of the UAE’s leadership, and its future leader.
About 68th Republic Day: Know MoreFor first time since 1950, foreign troops marched down the Rajpath on Republic Day last year.
French troops, the 35th Infantry Regiment of 7th Armoured Brigade, marched alongside Indian soldiers.
This year, 179 soldiers from the UAE (which includes 144 soldiers and 35 band members), led the parade.
India's elite counter-terror group, the National Security Guard, marched in the parade for the first time ever this year.
India's very own Light Combat Aircraft also made its debut appearance this year.
The Padma Vibhushan awardees for 2017 include legendary singer, Yesudas and political leaders Sharad Pawar and Murli Manohar Joshi.
In sports, Virat Kohli (cricketer), Dipa Karmakar (gymnast), Vikas Gowda (discus throw) and P.R. Sreejesh (hockey) have been awarded the Padma Shri.
Other awardees include AIDS researcher Dr Suniti Solomon, Imrat Khan (artist), Anuradha Koirala (social worker), Bhavna Somaiya (film critic), Vishwa Mohan Bhat (music) and Anuradha Paudwal (singer).
The Burj Khalifa will light up in the colors of the Indian flag today and tomorrow (January 25 and 26) in salute to the Indian Republic Day.
Indian Government 2017: Know More- Government: Federal parliamentary constitutional republic
- President: Pranab Mukherjee
- Vice-President: Mohammad Hamid Ansari
- Prime Minister: Narendra Modi
- Chief Justice: Jagdish Singh Khehar
- Speaker of the Lower House: Sumitra Mahajan
