Meet Captain Ritika Khareta: Lady Officer Who Assisted PM Modi in Hoisting the Tricolour at Red Fort

On the morning of 15 August 2026, as India celebrated its 80th Independence Day, the ramparts of the Red Fort once again became the stage for one of the nation’s most solemn traditions. Amid the historic first official rendering of Vande Mataram at the venue, the 21-gun salute, and the petal shower by Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopters, a young woman officer stood beside Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With quiet precision and composure, she assisted him in unfurling the National Flag.

That officer was Captain Ritika Khareta of the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals.

Her presence was not planned in the original protocol. Official briefings issued days earlier had named Captain Sonia Singh Chauhan for the ceremonial duty. The change was made at short notice. Captain Khareta stepped into the role without fanfare and executed it with the same discipline that has defined her short but striking service career so far.

From Delhi Streets to Kartavya Path

Born and raised in Delhi, Ritika Khareta is the daughter of a Delhi Police Sub-Inspector and a school teacher. She completed her schooling at Amity International School, Pushp Vihar, graduating in the 2016 batch. Standing 180 cm tall, she carries a natural physical presence that becomes immediately noticeable on parade grounds.

Her connection to uniformed service runs deep. In interviews during the 2025 Republic Day season, she spoke of the special affection she developed for the police and the Army because of her father’s profession. Marching on the same Delhi roads where her father had performed duty for years carried personal meaning for her.

The Republic Day Moment That Put Her on the National Map

Captain Khareta first came into national focus in January 2025. At the 76th Republic Day Parade, she commanded the Corps of Signals marching contingent — a column of 146 men, including two Junior Commissioned Officers. She was the only woman officer leading a male marching contingent that year.

Selected from a shortlist of 12 officers at the Signal Training Centre in Jabalpur, she prepared her men for months. The Corps of Signals had previously been commanded by a woman officer (Captain Tania Shergill in 2020, when the contingent won the Best Marching Contingent trophy). Khareta’s selection continued that progressive tradition.

Her own words from that period remain telling:

“Today was the first time we marched toward the Red Fort. Growing up in Delhi and now leading a contingent on the same roads gave me goosebumps.”

“Nothing is impossible. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine leading a contingent. The Indian Army not only welcomes women but also empowers them. We just need to perform to the best of our abilities.”

She also used the platform to send a direct message to young girls and children: dream big, do not limit yourselves, and put in the hard work required to turn those dreams into reality.

The Red Fort Assignment – 15 August 2026

Eighteen months after leading her contingent past the Red Fort, Captain Khareta found herself on its ramparts. The 80th Independence Day celebrations carried special symbolism. For the first time in independent India’s history, Vande Mataram was formally rendered as part of the official protocol at the Red Fort, marking 150 years of the national song. Floral decorations on the ramparts featured the tricolour flanked by the words “Vande Mataram” in Hindi. Youth formations on Gyanpath spelled out the same words.

In this charged atmosphere, Captain Khareta assisted the Prime Minister in the flag-hoisting sequence. The unfurling was synchronised with the 21-gun salute fired by the 1721 Field Battery using indigenous 105 mm Light Field Guns. Photographs of the moment — the young Signals officer standing beside the Prime Minister as the National Flag rose — quickly circulated across social media and news platforms.

Defence observers and veterans noted that the last-minute assignment itself spoke volumes. It reflected the confidence the Army had in her professional bearing and ceremonial competence.

Why Her Story Matters

Captain Ritika Khareta’s journey is still young, yet it already carries several layers of significance.

First, it underscores the steady expansion of leadership opportunities for women officers in the Indian Army. Leading an all-male technical contingent on Kartavya Path and then sharing the most visible ceremonial duty of Independence Day with the Prime Minister are both high-visibility roles that were once unimaginable.

Second, her background makes the story accessible. She is not from a multi-generational military family. She is the daughter of a Delhi Police Sub-Inspector and a teacher — a middle-class Delhi household. Her rise reinforces the message that the Army remains open to talent and character regardless of family pedigree.

Third, for defence aspirants, particularly young women preparing for NDA, CDS, or AFCAT, her example is practical rather than abstract. She has demonstrated that performance under pressure — whether on the parade ground or in a sudden high-stakes ceremonial assignment — is what earns trust.

The Quiet Professional

Those who have followed Captain Khareta’s limited public appearances note a consistent trait: she speaks little about herself and focuses on the institution and the soldiers under her command. In the Republic Day interviews she repeatedly thanked the Corps of Signals and the Indian Army for the opportunities given to her. She described the organisation as one that empowers those willing to work hard.

That same composure was visible on 15 August 2026. Assigned the role at short notice, she performed it without drawing attention to herself. The photographs show a young officer standing correctly, focused on the task at hand, while the National Flag rose over the Red Fort.

In an era when ceremonial moments are instantly amplified across media, Captain Ritika Khareta’s presence offered a simple but powerful image: a woman officer of the Indian Army, product of a Delhi Police family, trusted with one of the most visible duties of the nation’s most important day.

Her story is still being written. But the chapters already completed — from the Signal Training Centre in Jabalpur to Kartavya Path in 2025, and from there to the ramparts of the Red Fort in 2026 — make one thing clear. When the Indian Army looks for officers who can lead with quiet authority under the national spotlight, Captain Ritika Khareta has already shown she belongs in that group.