Putin Inaugurates RT India, Marking Network’s Biggest Global Expansion

Russian President Vladimir Putin formally launched RT India during his visit to New Delhi, unveiling the channel’s largest international expansion to date and signalling a renewed focus on strengthening media and cultural engagement with India. The inauguration ceremony brought together senior officials from both countries, along with top RT leadership, positioning the debut as a milestone in the broadcaster’s global strategy.RT India is being steered by Ashok Bagriya, former Legal Editor at Hindustan Times and CNN-News18, who has overseen the development of RT’s most ambitious overseas operation so far. The project includes a state-of-the-art television studio, a fully equipped newsroom, and a team of over 100 media professionals, designed to deliver comprehensive international coverage tailored to Indian audiences.

On the launch day, Bagriya also hosted a closed-door interaction with Herman Gref, CEO and Chairman of Russia’s largest financial institution, Sberbank. During the discussion, Gref announced a $100 million investment aimed at expanding the bank’s footprint in India, highlighting growing economic cooperation alongside the media partnership between the two nations.RT India will broadcast four daily English-language news shows, offering an extensive mix of international reporting, India–Russia affairs, and coverage focused on the evolving multipolar global order. The channel reflects Moscow’s broader effort to deepen ties with key partners while providing what it describes as alternative viewpoints on global developments.

The launch follows widespread restrictions and bans imposed on RT across several Western nations in the wake of the Ukraine conflict. Against this backdrop, the India expansion represents a strategic pivot toward emerging markets and one of the world’s largest television audiences. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Peskov described the move as significant, congratulating the RT team and viewers while remarking that launching in India outweighs losing access to smaller markets elsewhere.With its ambitious scale and editorial focus, RT India now steps into one of the world’s most competitive media landscapes, aiming to establish itself as a prominent global news voice for Indian viewers.