Over one billion users worldwide have already embraced Rich Communication Services (RCS)—the next-generation messaging technology championed by Google and adopted by major global brands. RCS offers interactive, secure, and engaging conversations.
India, with its Android-dominated smartphone landscape, upcoming Apple iOS support for RCS, and booming mobile commerce ecosystem, is uniquely positioned at the epicenter of this messaging revolution. Indian businesses have a unique opportunity—and limited time—to harness RCS as their next big competitive edge. The question isn’t if RCS will transform customer experiences—it’s whether businesses will lead or follow.
Brands that act early won’t just enhance customer experiences; they’ll set new benchmarks in customer engagement, loyalty, and conversions. The race toward deeper, more meaningful conversations with customers has already begun. Are you ready to gain the edge?
Here’s why adopting RCS right now is crucial for your customer engagement strategy in India.
The Market Opportunity: RCS Growth & Adoption in India
India is quickly emerging as a global leader in RCS adoption, driven by skyrocketing smartphone penetration, high consumer demand for richer digital experiences, and brands embracing conversational commerce.
Explosive Growth in RCS Messaging
In 2024, India experienced extraordinary growth in RCS usage:
1162% increase in RCS interactions during Black Friday sales, followed by an even higher 1455.2% surge on Cyber Monday, showcasing consumer enthusiasm for interactive messaging.
India’s business messaging market, propelled largely by channels like RCS, is expected to surpass $1 billion in revenue by 2025.
By 2029, India alone is projected to have 254 million A2P (Application-to-Person) RCS users, generating approximately $544 million in revenue, further demonstrating its dominant position in the Asia-Oceania region.
High Performance & Engagement
RCS is not just gaining traction; it’s delivering remarkable results:
Indian businesses leveraging RCS have reported response rates improving significantly—BankBazaar.com, for example, recorded a 130% risein response rates after adopting RCS messaging.
Market Valuation & Revenue Potential
India’s overall business messaging market (including RCS and Whatsapp) is forecasted to exceed $1 billion in revenue by 2025. Moreover, specifically within Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging, India is projected to lead RCS growth in the Asia-Oceania region, generating $544 million in revenue by 2029.
Cross-Platform Adoption: Android and iOS Support
India’s predominantly Android-driven market, with Android commanding 95.4% smartphone market share, already provides a robust foundation for widespread RCS usage. Upcoming Apple iOS 18 support for RCS messaging is expected to further accelerate adoption, removing barriers between Android and iPhone users and expanding reach significantly.
These insights demonstrate why Indian businesses have an unprecedented opportunity to adopt RCS early, solidifying their competitive edge in customer engagement.
RCS: Augmenting the Business Messaging Experience in India
SMS remains an essential channel for businesses—valued for its universal reach, low cost, simplicity, and reliability. Yet as customer expectations evolve, businesses require messaging solutions that go beyond basic text. Rich Communication Services is emerging as a formidable contender in the business messaging landscape, offering capabilities that not only enhance traditional SMS but also challenge the dominance of platforms like WhatsApp in India. By integrating advanced features directly into native messaging apps, RCS provides businesses with a robust channel for customer engagement.
Advantages of RCS:
Rich Media and Interactive Features: RCS supports high-resolution images, videos, and interactive carousels, enabling businesses to deliver visually compelling content without requiring customers to install additional applications. This seamless integration enhances user experience and engagement.
Real-time Interactivity & Conversational Commerce: SMS excels at quick, transactional alerts (e.g., OTPs, transaction alerts), but RCS takes interactions a step further, enabling real-time customer interactions—from product browsing and booking confirmations to seamless, in-message transactions.
Enhanced Security & Trust: Both SMS and RCS offer reliable delivery; however, RCS introduces an added layer of security through verified sender badges and encryption, significantly boosting customer confidence and trust—particularly important for sensitive transactions in banking, healthcare, or retail.
Cross-Application Connectivity: Unlike third-party messaging apps such as WhatsApp, RCS is built directly into Android’s native messaging app. This means RCS interactions occur seamlessly within the familiar messaging environment, eliminating barriers such as app installations or updates required by apps like WhatsApp, significantly increasing ease of adoption.
Integration with Existing Infrastructure Businesses can integrate RCS into their current communication strategies without overhauling existing systems. This compatibility reduces operational complexities and allows for a smoother transition from traditional SMS to more enriched messaging experiences.
Why Indian Consumers Are Ready for RCS
Mobile-First Nation with Android Dominance With 95.4% of smartphones in India running Android, RCS is natively available to most users, requiring no extra downloads. As a mobile-first economy, India’s high 4G adoption and growing digital transactions make it the ideal market for seamless, app-less messaging experiences.
No App Installation Required: Unlike WhatsApp or other OTT apps, RCS is built into Android’s native messaging app, making adoption frictionless. With Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 support, it will soon become a truly cross-platform messaging solution, allowing businesses to engage users across ecosystems.
Conversational Commerce Readiness: India’s rapid adoption of digital and mobile commerce demonstrates its strong affinity for mobile-first eCommerce. RCS enables seamless in-chat shopping, allowing users to browse, receive personalized recommendations, and complete purchases—without switching apps.
With Android dominance, growing mobile commerce, and cross-platform expansion, RCS is poised to be India’s next big customer engagement channel. Brands that adopt it now will lead the way in interactive, AI-powered mobile experiences.
How Top Indian Brands Are Already Winning with RCS
Indian enterprises across diverse sectors are already harnessing the power of Rich Communication Services (RCS), seeing dramatic improvements in customer engagement, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction. Here are three real-world examples that clearly illustrate the business impact of RCS.
Axis Bank: Driving Engagement through Interactive Messaging
Axis Bank, one of India’s largest private banks, implemented RCS messaging to deliver personalized credit card communications and customer support. Using interactive RCS messages, customers could instantly access detailed transaction histories and account information directly from their native messaging apps. This richer experience led to impressive results:
45% increase in cross-sell opportunities enabled for loans, credit cards, and FDs
6.5% increase in service requests created via the chatbot
2000+ users activated through Axis Bank’s RCS chatbot
Chennai-based financial marketplace BankBazaar.com leveraged RCS Business Messaging to enhance customer engagement for its loan offers. By incorporating rich media, interactive messaging, and an animated GIF, the company created a visually appealing experience that encouraged higher interaction rates compared to traditional SMS campaigns.
The results:
130% increase in click-through rates (CTR) for the second set of RCS campaigns featuring an animated GIF, compared to standard SMS campaigns.
Enhanced customer engagement, as RCS’s rich visuals and interactive elements improved the way customers interacted with financial product offers.
No additional app required, allowing customers to seamlessly engage within their native messaging app.
By integrating rich media elements directly into its messaging strategy, BankBazaar.com successfully improved engagement and response rates without requiring users to switch platforms or install new apps.(Source)
EaseMyTrip: Driving Higher Engagement with RCS
EaseMyTrip leveraged RCS Business Messaging to engage customers through an interactive, survey-based campaign focused on post-COVID-19 travel preferences. By using rich media carousels and interactive messaging, they provided a seamless experience within the native messaging app, driving significant improvements in engagement.
The results were impressive:
4X higher click-through rate (CTR) compared to traditional email marketing campaigns.
2.7% increase in conversion rate, as users who completed the survey received a discount code, encouraging further interaction.
This case study demonstrates how interactive RCS messaging can significantly enhance engagement, drive customer participation, and create seamless brand interactions—all without requiring users to switch between apps.
RCS Use Cases: How Indian Businesses Can Leverage It
Indian brands across industries have diverse opportunities to integrate Rich Communication Services (RCS) into their existing customer engagement strategies. Here’s how businesses can capitalize on RCS’s capabilities to drive growth, customer satisfaction, and loyalty:
Retail & E-commerce
Conversational Commerce: Guide customers from inspiration to purchase through interactive product carousels and personalized recommendations, directly within the messaging thread.
Cart Recovery: Send visually appealing reminders about abandoned carts, complete with product details, customer reviews, and seamless checkout buttons.
Travel & Hospitality
Real-time Booking & Updates: Send visually enriched travel confirmations, boarding passes, hotel bookings, and dynamic itinerary changes in real-time.
Interactive Upselling: Enhance customer experience with in-message upgrades, personalized recommendations for hotel amenities, and local experience bookings.
Banking & Financial Services
Enhanced Security & Trust: Provide secure transaction alerts, account statements, and fraud prevention through verified sender IDs.
Instant Customer Support: Offer AI-powered customer support directly in messages, enabling fast, frictionless resolutions to queries.
Healthcare & Utilities
Appointment Management: Send appointment reminders, teleconsultation links, and medication alerts, simplifying the patient journey.
Billing & Alerts: Facilitate seamless bill payments and deliver proactive usage alerts or outage notifications with immediate resolution options.
RCS: The Edge in Customer Engagement for Brands in India
From verified, secure interactions to AI-driven conversational commerce, RCS empowers brands to create unforgettable mobile experiences.
Seize the RCS Advantage—offer your customers the richer, smarter, and safer messaging they increasingly expect. Early adopters will gain the upper hand in engagement, loyalty, and revenue in India’s dynamic, mobile-first marketplace.
