RCS Business Messaging: what it is and how it works in India
A plain-English guide to RCS — the upgrade to SMS that lets verified brands send rich, interactive, branded messages your customers actually trust.
RCS (Rich Communication Services) business messaging is an upgrade to SMS that lets verified brands send rich, interactive messages — images, carousels, buttons and branded sender IDs — inside the default Google Messages app on Android, with automatic fallback to SMS when a device doesn't support RCS.
How RCS messaging works in India
Your brand is verified
Your business is registered and verified as an RCS sender, so messages carry your name, logo and a verified badge.
You build the message
Create rich cards, carousels, buttons and suggested replies — far beyond a plain text SMS.
It's delivered over carriers
Messages are delivered through Google's RCS platform across carriers including Jio, into the default Messages app.
SMS fallback if needed
If a device isn't RCS-ready, the message automatically falls back to SMS, so reach is never lost.
Unlike apps such as WhatsApp, RCS doesn't require your customer to install anything — it works inside the messaging app already on their Android phone. That combination of native reach and rich, verified content is what makes RCS such a strong upgrade for Indian businesses currently relying on SMS. Want the deeper technical version? Read how RCS works in India.
What RCS business messaging can do
Rich cards & media
Send images, video and product cards instead of plain text.
Carousels
Swipeable multi-item carousels — perfect for catalogues and offers.
Suggested replies & actions
Tappable buttons to reply, book, pay, track or call.
Verified sender
Your brand name, logo and verified badge build instant trust.
Two-way messaging
Real conversations — customers can reply and you can respond.
Delivery & read insights
See delivered, read and clicked — measurement SMS can't match.
How RCS compares to SMS
The short version: same default app, far richer experience.
| Capability | SMS | RCS |
|---|---|---|
| Branding & verified sender | No | Yes |
| Images, video & cards | No | Yes |
| Buttons & suggested replies | No | Yes |
| Read & delivery receipts | Limited | Yes |
| Works in the default app | Yes | Yes |
Who uses RCS business messaging
E-commerce & D2C
Promotions, cart recovery and order updates with shop-now buttons. See e-commerce →
Banking & finance
Verified, branded alerts and transactional messages. See BFSI →
Real estate & more
Listings, reminders and bookings across industries. All solutions →
How to start sending RCS in India
We handle the technical parts so you can focus on your campaigns.
Talk to us
Book a demo and tell us your use case and volume.
Get verified
We register and verify your brand as an RCS sender.
Go live
Launch branded RCS campaigns — most brands go live within days.
RCS business messaging FAQs
What is RCS business messaging?
How does RCS work in India?
Is RCS the same as SMS?
Does RCS work on iPhone?
Bring RCS business messaging to your brand
See verified rich cards and carousels live, and get pricing for your volume.