{"id":65069,"date":"2026-06-22T11:08:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T11:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/?p=65069"},"modified":"2026-06-22T11:08:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T11:08:33","slug":"the-launch-of-rt-india-is-to-expand-russian-propaganda-under-the-guise-of-international-media-head-of-rsfs-south-asia-desk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/the-launch-of-rt-india-is-to-expand-russian-propaganda-under-the-guise-of-international-media-head-of-rsfs-south-asia-desk\/","title":{"rendered":"The launch of RT India is to expand Russian propaganda under the guise of international media : Head of RSF\u2019s South Asia desk"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Russia Ukraine Monitoring Desk Islamabad<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

RT India was launched in New Delhi in December 2025, in the presence of \u00a0Russian President Vladimir Putin and Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group and the Russian state channel RT (formerly Russia Today). Nearly six months later, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is voicing concern over the channel’s expansion in India and the risk of disinformation being spread in the country’s information space.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vladimir Putin called the inauguration of RT India a \u201cmomentous event\u201d that \u201cgrants millions of Indian citizens clearer, more direct access to insights about contemporary Russia \u2013 our realities, aspirations, and perspectives.” Launched with\u00a0 the slogan \u201cA new voice from an old friend,\u201d RT India made its debut with an advertising campaign across the country\u2019s\u00a0main cities, including\u00a0 Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru. During his state visit to New Delhi in December 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally attended the opening ceremony for this new branch of the state media RT\u00a0 dedicated to Indian audiences.<\/p>\n

RT India, which has recruited around 100 employees and has a studio in Noida (a city bordering the capital city of Delhi), broadcasts daily news bulletins and topical programs. It is accessible online, as well as via cable and satellite. The outlet claims to offer an \u201calternative narrative\u201d to what the channel’s CEO, Ashok Bagaria, described\u00a0in an article<\/a>\u00a0of the online media outlet\u00a0Newslaundry<\/em>\u00a0as the \u201cone-sided narrative being presented by Western media outlets.\u201d The channel\u2019s launch comes amid a strategic rapprochement between Russia and India.<\/p>\n

RT was welcomed with great fanfare in India, despite being hit with sanctions in several countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The channel has been banned from broadcasting in the European Union (EU) and is listed among the propaganda outlets sanctioned by a unanimous decision of the Council of the EU on 2 March 2022. The outlet was described as an entity \u201cunder the permanent direct or indirect control of the authorities of the Russian Federation (\u2026) instrumental in bringing forward and supporting the military aggression against Ukraine.\u201d RT was also stripped of its broadcasting license in the United Kingdom and forced to cease operations in the United States.<\/p>\n

Ukraine Crossed Red Line | Russia Resorting to Quality Military Actions | Commemorates Young Victims of Strikes on College | Points out Narrow Escape from Nuclear Disaster after Attack on Zaporozhye NPP<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n