India Today Group has released a Media Impact Report detailing the scale and global influence of its exclusive interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, conducted at the beginning of the year. The report captures the reach, engagement and international media uptake generated by the conversation, positioning it as one of the most widely referenced political interviews in recent years.

According to a press release issued by the India Today Group, the interview recorded an extraordinary footprint across television, digital and social platforms worldwide. As of January 2026, the content had garnered 235 million video views across broadcast and digital platforms, with peak concurrent live viewership touching 1.2 million globally. The interview also drove significant social engagement, recording 5.8 million interactions including shares, comments and reactions across platforms such as Meta, X, Instagram and YouTube.

The report highlights extensive international media pickup, with coverage, citation and attribution across 25 leading global news organisations. Prominent front-page and headline placements were seen across Europe, Asia and the Global South, reflecting the interview’s cross-continental resonance. International amplification included leading media houses such as the BBC, Reuters, Associated Press, The Washington Post and The New York Times, along with wide regional and multilingual adoption.

Findings from the report suggest that the interview’s impact went beyond scale to establish sustained relevance in global discourse. While high-profile Western political interviews, including Donald Trump’s appearances on 60 Minutes and ABC’s 100 Days, or President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s engagements with U.S. broadcast networks, drew strong domestic or regional attention, their international citation remained comparatively limited. In contrast, the India Today exclusive emerged as a consistent reference point across global newsrooms, policy discussions and international commentary.

The Media Impact Report also underlines the depth of engagement achieved by the interview. Beyond live broadcast numbers, the content saw prolonged global consumption in the weeks following transmission across digital platforms. Social metrics reflected active audience participation, with millions engaging in discussion and content sharing rather than passive viewing.

Based on peak concurrent live viewership and post-broadcast digital performance, the report places the interview among the most-watched real-time global political conversations in recent times. The sustained global interest, the report notes, reflects both the editorial credibility of the India Today platform and the relevance of the questions posed.

Commenting on the milestone, Kalli Purie, Vice Chairperson and Executive Editor-in-Chief, India Today Group, said the achievement reinforces the organisation’s commitment to journalism that shapes conversations beyond borders. She added that the interview demonstrated the power of asking questions that resonate with a global audience and contribute meaningfully to international discourse.

The Media Impact Report aggregates data from broadcast, digital and social platforms, supported by third-party media monitoring and platform analytics, with measurements taken up to January 2026.