On July 14, 2023, India had two reasons to celebrate its national pride. An iconic period in world politics coincided with a significant advance in space research, providing a positive picture of India’s rise to prominence.

First, one of France’s most important yearly events, the Bastille Day parade in Paris, was graced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the guest of honour. His attendance highlighted the cordial diplomatic relationships between France and India, which are characterised by mutual respect and strategic partnership. The successful launch of Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organization’s third lunar mission, marked another milestone in space research history at the same time.

Rarely do foreign leaders receive the Bastille Day honour, which only emphasises how significant PM Modi’s participation is. An Indian tri-services contingent—a unified front of the soldiers, Navy, and Air Force—marched alongside the French soldiers as the Indian tricolour was raised in Paris.

The Punjab Regiment of the Indian Army, led by Captain Aman Jagtap, walked down the famous Champs-Élysées amid thunderous ovation, symbolising a shared history of brave defence and strength.

In parallel, ISRO launched Chandrayaan-3 into space hundreds of kilometres away, signalling the start of a mission that, if successful, will make India the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the moon. This ground-breaking mission aims to send a rover to the moon’s surface, where it will gather a plethora of information on the planet’s geology and atmosphere. Everybody in the country held their breath as the mission launched, which is a monument to the hard work, competence, and dedication of ISRO’s engineers and scientists.

Chandrayaan-3’s launch symbolises India’s growing technological prowess more than it does a single accomplishment in its space programme. It serves as a tremendous source of national pride and shines a light on India’s capacity for advancement and innovation.

Without a question, July 14, 2023, will go down in Indian history as a day of double celebration. The Chandrayaan-3 launch demonstrated India’s technological prowess while the invitation to participate in the Bastille Day parade showed the country’s esteem and recognition abroad.
These two victories have solidified India’s status as a rising force on the international scene, fostering hope and expectations for the nation’s future. They send a loud and obvious message that India is dedicated to technical advancement, innovation, and active engagement in the world. These important occurrences have undoubtedly given India cause to anticipate and look forward with confidence to a future full of opportunity.