New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday launched RT India, the newest international arm of the Kremlin-funded RT network, marking one of Moscow’s most ambitious media ventures as it seeks to strengthen its footprint in South Asia.
The unveiling — held at a temporary studio inside a luxury Delhi hotel — comes during Putin’s first visit to India since the Ukraine war began. Russian officials describe RT India as a major push to deepen strategic communication ties with New Delhi.
❗️President Putin OFFICIALLY Launches The Broadcast Of RT India! ‘Вперед’ (Forward!) pic.twitter.com/Cy34dN7XIF
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) December 5, 2025
RT India: Russia’s Boldest Media Foray
RT India will begin operations with four English-language programmes daily, backed by a newsroom of over 100 journalists and technical staff. A full-scale studio is set to come up in the National Capital Region.
The channel pitches itself as a platform aligned with a multipolar world, promoting what it calls the “growing influence” of India and Russia. Its tagline — “Not Anti-Western… Just Not Western” — signals its positioning in global media narratives.
The project is being called the largest international expansion in the network’s history. It comes even as RT remains banned across the European Union since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Founded in 2005, RT has long aimed to challenge Western-dominated global news perspectives and reshape international perceptions of Russia.
❗️Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan At Launch Of RT India: 🇮🇳’s Welcome Is Inspiring – We Should Have Done This Long Ago’ pic.twitter.com/c8uha6KXpy
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) December 5, 2025
Discussed at High-Level Talks
RT India’s rollout was also featured at the 26th India–Russia Intergovernmental Commission meeting in Moscow. Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov briefed External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, calling the venture a significant step in strengthening cooperation not only in trade and defence, but also in media and information outreach.
Manturov said RT India would offer comprehensive coverage of India–Russia developments and provide an “objective reflection” of both countries’ expanding global roles.
Licensing and Approvals
RT already has visibility on Indian cable networks and maintains a content-sharing arrangement with Prasar Bharati. Officials from the Information & Broadcasting Ministry confirmed that no additional broadcasting licence was required due to the network’s existing presence.
However, fresh clearances for new uplinking and downlinking operations were processed through the Ministry of External Affairs, the Home Ministry, and the I&B Ministry, paving the way for RT’s full-fledged India debut.
With RT India now officially launched, Moscow appears set to expand its narrative influence in one of the world’s largest media markets, adding a new dimension to the evolving India–Russia partnership.
