Ashok Bagriya takes charge as CEO of RT India

New Delhi: Ashok Bagriya has been appointed CEO of RT India, taking charge of the broadcaster’s operations as it begins its expansion into the Indian market.

Bagriya, a legal journalist and former Legal Editor at Hindustan Times and CNN-News18, has been overseeing the development of RT’s India set-up, including the establishment of its studio and newsroom infrastructure and the building of a team of more than 100 professionals to produce content for Indian audiences.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched RT’s India branch during his visit to New Delhi, marking the network’s largest overseas operation. The inauguration, attended by senior representatives from Russia and India along with RT leadership, reflects ongoing engagement between the two countries and the network’s continued international expansion.

During the launch, Bagriya held a closed-door conversation and interview with Herman Gref, CEO and Chairman of Russia’s Sberbank. Gref announced a $100 million investment to expand the bank’s presence in India, presenting it as part of broader economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries.

RT India is preparing to introduce four daily English-language news programmes covering India–Russia relations, global developments and issues linked to a shifting multipolar order.

The broadcaster, formerly known as Russia Today, has faced bans across several Western nations following the Ukraine conflict, and the India launch reflects a shift towards regions where it continues to operate.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Peskov described the rollout as a significant development, saying, “I would like to sincerely congratulate the magnificent RT team and its viewers for launching your broadcast in India. Sometimes it’s better to lose the right to broadcast in the small democracies, so-called democracies, and launch in the biggest one.”