NEW DELHI — On one level, of course, it was just a parade. But as President Obama watched marching military units pass by at India’s annual Republic Day celebration on Monday, it served as a fitting geopolitical metaphor as well.
Overhead were Russian-made MI-35 helicopters and on the street in front of him were Russian-made T-90 tanks, a reminder of India’s longstanding ties to Moscow dating to the Cold War. Yet it was Mr. Obama in the seat of the chief guest as he used his visit here to cement stronger relations between the United States and India.
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India has been the world’s largest consumer of Russia’s arms industry, which was evident throughout the Republic Day parade, particularly with a series of flyovers by MIG-29 and SU-30 fighter jets. But balancing it out a bit were P-8 Poseidon naval surveillance planes made by Boeing.
After the parade, Mr. Obama was scheduled to attend a reception hosted by India’s president, Pranab Mukherjee, and to meet privately with leaders of the Indian National Congress party, the long-dominant force now in opposition since the Bharatiya Janata Party of Mr. Modi won enough seats in Parliament last year to form a governing coalition. In the evening, Mr. Obama planned to host a meeting of Indian and American business chief executives.
