Five Reasons Why RT India Is A Strategic Game-Changer For Russia

Wider awareness across the world of the irreplaceable role that the Russian-Indian duo plays in the global systemic transition will bring them more mutually beneficial partnerships that’ll accelerate the arrival of complex multipolarity.

Putin’s first trip to India in four years was a stunning success. Readers can review the list of outcomes shared by India’s Ministry of External Affairs here and his joint statement with Modi here. Arguably just as important as the aforesaid was the launch of RT India, however, which Putin personally kicked off. It’s no small matter that Russia just up a regional office of its flagship international media outlet in India. The present analysis will highlight the five reasons why this is a strategic game-changer for Russia:

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1. India Is A Demographic Giant

The first reason is the most obvious and it’s that India is the world’s most populous country with approximately 1.5 billion people. Not only that, but it also has the world’s second-largest number of English speakers behind the US, which accounts for why Indians are increasingly shaping social media discourse given that English still remains the lingua franca online. Accordingly, more Russian-friendly Indians could translate into more Russian-friendly social media posts, which can’t but benefit Russia.

2. It Has Enormous Economic Potential

India is already the world’s fifth-largest economy and is on pace to become its third-largest by 2030. Trade with Russia has skyrocketed since the special operation started due to India massively importing discounted oil from Russia, but both sides want to scale up real-sector economic ties. As Russian-friendly sentiment in India strengthens due to RT India, potential customers, businesses, and investors might correspondingly choose Russian products and the Russian market over others, thus bringing this about.

3. India Is The “Voice Of The Global South”

The Global South encompasses the vast majority of humanity and is only just now beginning to rise as a force to be reckoned with. India has presented itself as the “Voice Of The Global South” since early 2023 due to it being the most populous and economically largest among them by far. That’s why it naturally feels a responsibility to lead this fraternal collection of countries with similar experiences and challenges. More Russian-friendly sentiment in India can therefore spread across the entire Global South with ease.

4. RT India Can Break The West’s Media Monopoly There

Although India is already one of the world’s most Russian-friendly societies as proven by credible surveys, its national media market is dominated by pro-Western outlets. This has already led to a few fake news scandals. Some unaware foreign observers have also misinterpreted critical articles about Russia in Indian media as reflecting popular or elite sentiment. RT India can break the West’s media monopoly there, further strengthen Russian-friendly sentiment, and thus spoil the West’s plans.

5. It Might Soon Also Popularize The Tri-Multipolarity Concept Across The World

The grand strategic significance of the Russian-Indian relationship is that these two jointly function as a third force for helping others break free of the perceived zero-sum dilemma to take sides in the Sino-US systemic rivalry. Without them playing this role, the world would bifurcate into two de facto blocs, but now it’ll instead move towards tri-multipolarity (the US, China, and Russia-India) as the stepping stone to complex multipolarity. RT India is expected to articulate and popularize this concept across the world.

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All told, RT India is indeed a strategic game-changer for Russia since it’ll reap far-reaching soft power, economic, and political benefits through the means that were described above, the most important of which is arguably the last one about popularizing the tri-multipolarity concept. Wider awareness across the world of the irreplaceable role that the Russian-Indian duo plays in the global systemic transition will bring them more mutually beneficial partnerships that’ll accelerate the arrival of complex multipolarity.