By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday launched the India division of Russia’s state-funded television network RT in New Delhi ‘RT India’.
“The primary objective of the RT network is to strengthen India-Russia relations through four daily English news programmes, and to highlight the growing influence of both countries in a multipolar world,” an official statement said.
“The Press Trust of India and Russian news agency TASS signed a cooperation agreement for regular exchange of news content on developments in India and Russia. The agreement was signed by Vijay Joshi, PTI’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief, and TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov on the sidelines of the India-Russia Business Forum in New Delhi coincided with the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India,” it added.
Kondrashov was speaking at the event held at Bharat Mandapam, said the signing of the agreement was another important step towards strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between Russia and India.
“We are opening a new page in Russian-Indian media cooperation. Our cooperation will help make the news exchange more efficient, diverse and transparent,” he said.
“The mass media is a bridge between our peoples, between our cultures. Thanks to PTI and TASS, this bridge will be even more reliable and stronger,” he added.
Joshi said the agreement was not simply a news exchange partnership but in fact the two news agencies were renewing their pledge to strengthen truth in an age of uncertainty.
“Today we take a meaningful step forward. We are renewing our commitment to see events and growth in our countries first hand,” he said.
Due to an existing agreement with Prasar Bharati, there was no need for a separate license. However, approvals from various government departments were required, which were obtained with ease. In other words, the Indian government has given its consent for this mega launch of the Russian state TV channel on Indian soil.
The channel will commence operations from a temporary studio located at film city, NOIDA adjacent Delhi.
With a state-of-the-art studio and over a hundred staff members, this is likely to be the largest initiative of the RT network on foreign soil. To ensure the security of this matter, stringent safety measures are being maintained.
RT despite being banned in the European Union, the emergence of channels in India is naturally becoming a topic of discussion in international circles.
According to diplomatic analysts, the opening of a Russian state media office in the heart of India’s capital is essentially a defiance of Western sanctions.
The noteworthy is the tagline, ‘Not Anti-Western… Just Not Western,’ under which ‘RT India’ is entering the fray. This is considered to be highly significant in the context of international relations.
It was first launched in 2005 with their Moscow-based division, RT was born in an effort to transform the Russian government’s image on the global platform.
The channel will be based in Delhi and feature a fully functioning broadcast newsroom, and full teams of producers and reporters.
RT-India will come up with 4 daily English-language news bulletins in India.
According to an official statement, the initiative is aimed at deepening India–Russia relations while projecting the expanding footprint of both nations in an increasingly multipolar world.
The groundwork for the India rollout was laid this year during the 26th meeting of the India–Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation held in Moscow.
