New Delhi, September 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Russia Today (RT) has launched a dedicated Hindi-language digital operation in India, expanding the Russian state-backed broadcaster’s India presence beyond its English-language audience and into the country’s largest linguistic market.
The launch comes ahead of the BRICS Summit scheduled in New Delhi on September 12-13 and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expected visit to India, during which he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The new platform, rthindi.com, carries the Hindi tagline “Fark Nazariye Ka” (“The world looks different from here”) and is positioned by RT as a platform offering alternative perspectives on international affairs.
The launch campaign prominently features journalist Runjhun Sharma, Head of News at RT India, who has previously been part of Putin’s media pool during high-level international summits. One of the platform’s early interviews featured Sharma speaking in Hindi with Russian Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin.
The Russian Embassy in New Delhi has also announced the launch, describing RT Hindi as a new Hindi-language digital news platform.
Speaking to RT India, Babushkin said the initiative would allow more Hindi-speaking audiences to access what he described as timely and reliable information. He said the global information environment was increasingly influenced by efforts to restrict Russian perspectives and argued that RT Hindi would provide direct access to developments concerning Russia.
Babushkin also referred to what he described as an ongoing Western information campaign against Russia and said Hindi-speaking audiences needed access to objective information on Russia and India-Russia relations.
The platform has also featured former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, host of RT’s In Conversation With. In an opinion article published on the Hindi platform, Khurshid highlighted the longstanding strategic partnership between India and Russia.
“India and Russia have together seen many seasons change but have remained steadfast, reliable strategic partners,” Khurshid wrote, adding that the two countries’ friendship remained valuable amid global uncertainty.
RT India CEO Ashok Bagriya said the Hindi operation was a natural extension of the broadcaster’s India strategy.
“The launch of RT Hindi digital operations marks a natural next step in RT’s commitment to India, with more than 500 million Hindi speakers,” Bagriya said.
He added that around 50 professionals from across the industry had joined the expanded operation and said RT India would remain the umbrella organisation for the broadcaster’s activities in the country while it considers expansion into other Indian regional languages.
RT India was formally launched in New Delhi in December 2025 by Putin and RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan during Putin’s visit to India. The initiative was presented as a media bridge between the two countries.
Since beginning broadcasts from New Delhi studios later that month, RT India has expanded its locally focused programming featuring Indian journalists, political personalities and public figures. The Hindi platform marks a further expansion of that localisation strategy, targeting Hindi-speaking audiences across India.
FOLLOW NOW
