December 2025: Russian President Vladimir Putin launched RT’s biggest foreign office in India during his New Delhi visit, featuring a state-of-the-art studio in the national capital and a team of over 100. The launch marks an unprecedented moment for the network, signalling a new era for RT (Russia Today) in India.
Runjhun Sharma has long been Moscow based RT’s most plugged-in South Asia correspondent, reporting for the network even before the Ukraine war. Known for her sharp reportage and rare access, she has covered key developments across the region as well as President Putin’s high-stakes multilateral and bilateral engagements in Russia, China and beyond.
She has also penned columns offering an on-the-ground reporter’s view of observing President Putin up close, reflecting the depth of access she’s had at high-level events. After years of covering major global summits- paired with her calm, distinctly non-Western journalistic style- she is now RT India’s Head of News, leading the network’s editorial direction and shaping its newest and most ambitious venture in the region.
Giving the green light with a bold ‘let’s go,’ alongside RT International Editor-In-Chief Margarita Simonyan and RT India’s Head of News, Runjhun Sharma, in the studio and on his screen, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: “Today we are launching Russia Today India, or RT India. Russia Today, first and foremost, strives to communicate to its viewers truthful information about our country and about what’s happening around the globe. It significantly differs from propaganda channels and Western information sources.”
Mr. Putin added, “This is an important event because it gives millions of Indians the opportunity to perceive information about our country more closely and clearly about the developments in our country, about what Russia is thinking and what it is striving for.”
RT India is being positioned as the network’s dedicated India-focused outlet, reflecting Moscow’s wider strategy to deepen its media presence in key partner nations. Framed as RT’s India arm, the channel will operate within Russia’s state-run global media apparatus, spotlighting India-Russia relations, international developments and narratives aligned with an emerging multipolar world.
