The TV channel will operate from a new studio complex in New Delhi.
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Editor-in-Chief of Russia Today Margarita Simonyan: Good afternoon, everyone. First and foremost, thank you to President Putin for finding the time to officially inaugurate our channel in India. We are immensely gratified by this milestone event.
Naturally, you are aware that in many countries – whom we might term ill-intentioned – our broadcasts are banned, with some even imposing criminal penalties for collaboration with us.
Yet hospitable India, as a nation of goodwill, welcomes us and celebrates this launch. The words we hear from Indian officials are deeply inspiring, affirming that this endeavour was not only worthwhile but long overdue.
To coincide with the channel’s launch, we initiated an advertising campaign under the slogan – in English [A new voice from an old friend], of course – which translates as: The dialogue began long ago; we are merely giving it greater volume.
We launched an entire metro train dedicated to Russian-Indian friendship. This train caught the attention of Raj Kapoor’s grandson.
You surely recall who Raj Kapoor was?
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Naturally, an artist.
Margarita Simonyan: His grandson saw our advertisement, shared it, and it went viral on social media.
Our generation and that of our parents grew up with the indelible sense that India was always close by. Merely uttering “Jimmy Jimmy” in any gathering would invariably elicit “Aaja Aaja” in response. It even served as a litmus test for spies: failure to reciprocate “Aaja Aaja” betrayed one’s unfamiliarity with Soviet upbringing. For every person who grew up in the Soviet Union knew the correct reply to “Jimmy Jimmy”.
Mr President, we hesitated to invite you to the studio itself, given your demanding schedule and the remote location of Delhi’s television facilities. Instead, we will now offer a virtual tour, allowing you and our guests to witness our achievements – including the matryoshka doll installations across New Delhi, where passers-by can trial as Russia Today presenters; the illuminated bridge with effective installation in Mumbai; and the expansive banner campaign nationwide, featuring your portrait alongside Prime Minister Modi’s, commemorating your visit.
(A video presentation follows.)
Vladimir Putin: Friends, today marks a pivotal and very significant event – we are launching the Russia Today channel in India, RT India.
This is a momentous event, for it grants millions of Indian citizens clearer, more direct access to insights about contemporary Russia – our realities, aspirations, and perspectives.
We have just seen a short video. It offers only a brief glimpse into the past, into how our relations have evolved over the past decades. However, our friendship and the ties between the Indian and Russian peoples go much deeper into the past; they rest on a solid historical foundation. And at the core of our relationship lies mutual interest.
As was just noted – not spoken aloud now but shown on the screen – Indira Gandhi once said very accurately: we have accomplished much, and our relations have always been and continue to be beneficial to us, never to the detriment of others. It is a very precise description.
And today we are guided by exactly the same considerations. I sincerely hope that Russia Today will not only help present contemporary Russia but will also help orient our society on the priority issues and areas of our cooperation.
We spent the entire day discussing economic matters, our economic cooperation. Many years have passed since the times of Raj Kapoor; India has changed dramatically. I have just recalled some lines from Vladimir Vysotsky’s song about Raj Kapoor, but there are other words in it, too: “They say that a yogi could go a whole year without eating anything. And now they break another record: they eat and drink everything for a whole year.” It sounds like a joke, but in fact there is a great deal of truth in it. Why? Because India’s economy has changed beyond recognition, and its capabilities as a partner have evolved. But one thing remains unchanged – friendship and a shared interest in strengthening our cooperation.
I am confident that Russia Today will contribute to developing these multifaceted, longstanding relations that have been built over many decades. I sincerely wish you success.
Margarita Simonyan: Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Russia Today is an effective channel.
Margarita has just mentioned that someone somewhere is deliberately shutting down Russia Today. This is not out of malice, it is out of fear, fear of the truth. Because Russia Today is a source of truthful and reliable information, focused on serving the interests of its viewers and listeners.
Russia Today’s mission is not merely to promote Russia, its culture, and its positions on domestic and international issues. Above all, Russia Today strives to convey truthful information about our country and about what is happening in the world. This is the absolute value of Russia Today; this is what distinguishes it from the propaganda machinery of many Western media outlets, which essentially relay the positions of their governments.
I am confident that Russia Today will do its job, and do it brilliantly, at the highest level. My congratulations to Russia Today and to all of your current and future viewers and listeners.
Good luck.
Margarita Simonyan: Thank you very much, Mr President. We (addressing the audience) will do everything possible not to let you down and will strive every day to live up to the high praise you have given us, won’t we? We are all very grateful. Thank you very much.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you. To all of you.