Why RCS Messaging Service will Soon Replace Basic SMS for Many Indian Consumers
By Ranjan Dhibar 02-12-2025 95
For years, SMS has been the silent workhorse of Indian communication, from OTPs and order updates to bank alerts and promotional offers. But the way consumers interact with brands is changing fast.
They don’t just want information.
They want interaction.
They want visuals, buttons, confirmations, choices, and conversations - all without installing yet another app.
That’s exactly why RCS (Rich Communication Services) is rapidly emerging as the natural upgrade to basic SMS and why platforms like the Pingverse SMS RCS platform are at the forefront of this shift in India.
1. From Plain Text to Rich, App-Like Experiences
Traditional SMS is limited to 160 characters of plain text. No buttons, no carousels, no embedded media. It’s functional, but not exciting.
An RCS Messaging Platform, on the other hand, turns the default messaging app into an interactive surface:
- Rich cards with images, titles, and descriptions
- Carousels to browse multiple products or offers
- Quick reply buttons (“Yes / No”, “Confirm / Reschedule”)
- Embedded maps, locations, and even payment flows
- High-resolution media for product demos, how-tos, and campaigns
For the end user, it feels less like a text and more like a mini-app inside their SMS inbox. And for Indian consumers used to WhatsApp-level experiences, this feels natural.
2. No New App, No Login, No Friction
One of the biggest advantages of RCS messaging service is that it lives inside the native messaging app (like Google Messages on Android).
- No app download
- No new username/password
- No learning curve
The consumer simply receives a rich, interactive message in the same place they already see SMS.
Now imagine this in an Indian context:
- A bank sends a loan offer with a “Check Eligibility” button.
- A retailer shares a carousel of Diwali deals with “Buy Now” CTAs.
- A travel brand sends a boarding pass with a live status button.
All of this happens without the user installing or opening any additional app.
That’s a massive UX win — especially in a country where data, storage, and app fatigue are real concerns.
3. Two-Way Messaging for Businesses Becomes Natural
Traditional SMS is mostly a broadcast tool - the brand sends, the customer reads (maybe), and that’s it.
With SMS WhatsApp RCS messaging service working together under one umbrella, brands can finally embrace true two-way messaging for businesses:
- Ask a question → Get instant reply buttons
- Confirm or reschedule appointments
- Choose between product options
- Share feedback or raise issues
- Get bot-assisted support directly in the messaging thread
RCS, combined with WhatsApp and modern SMS workflows on a unified platform like Pingverse, makes conversation - not just notification - the default.
That’s a key psychological shift:
From “We’re informing you” to “We’re talking with you”.
4. Verified Senders = Trust in a Fraud-Heavy World
Indian consumers are increasingly wary of unknown SMS senders due to phishing, smishing, and spam.
RCS helps flip that fear into confidence through:
- Verified brand profiles with logo, name, and brand colors
- Official checkmarks confirming authenticity
- Consistent visual identity across messages
So instead of a random number, the user sees:
“YourBrand” at the top of the chat.
This not only boosts brand recall but also reduces fraud risk and builds trust - especially for sectors like banking, fintech, insurance, and e-commerce.
5. Better Analytics, Better Optimization, Better ROI
Basic SMS gives you limited visibility: sent vs delivered, and sometimes DLR quirks depending on route and operator.
An advanced RCS Messaging Platform provides:
- Detailed delivery & read receipts
- Click tracking on CTAs
- Interaction s stepsheatmaps (which button was pressed most?)
- Funnel analytics acros
Combine that with Pingverse’s omnichannel view (across SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, Email, Push), and brands can:
- Test journeys
- Optimize flows
- Allocate budgets to the best-performing paths
In other words, RCS doesn’t just look better - it performs better.
6. India Is Perfectly Positioned for RCS Growth
A few reasons why RCS will catch fire in India faster than many expect:
- Android dominates the smartphone market, and RCS is already integrated with Google’s messaging ecosystem.
- Indian consumers are comfortable with chat-first interfaces thanks to WhatsApp, Telegram, and in-app chat.
- Brands are under pressure to stand out beyond bland SMS blasts, especially during festive seasons and sale periods.
As soon as more operators, OEMs, and businesses sync into the ecosystem (and with iOS adding support globally), the shift from basic SMS to RCS for certain use cases is almost inevitable.
7. Not “Either Or” - But “SMS + WhatsApp + RCS” Together
Will RCS completely kill SMS overnight? No.
SMS is still unbeatable for:
- Critical OTP delivery
- Regulatory alerts
- Fallback in low-connectivity regions
What will actually happen is this:
- OTPs, must-deliver alerts → SMS first, with RCS/WhatsApp as enhancement
- Interactive campaigns, product discovery, rich onboarding → RCS or WhatsApp first, SMS as fallback
- Customer support and retention journeys → two-way messaging for businesses via RCS + WhatsApp integrated together
This is where the Pingverse SMS RCS platform shines, by giving brands a single hub to manage SMS + WhatsApp + RCS as a combined communication strategy instead of running them in silos.
8. Use Cases Where RCS Will Replace Basic SMS First
You’re most likely to see RCS replace SMS in these areas:
Retail & E-commerce
- Visual product catalogs
- Festive offer carousels
- Click-to-buy flows
- Order tracking with interactive steps
Banking & Fintech
- Loan offer journeys
- EMI options with quick replies
- Branch locator with map links
- “Tap to complete KYC” messages
Travel & Hospitality
- Itinerary cards
- Boarding passes with live updates
- Hotel check-in flows
- Upgrade offers with one-tap confirmation
Healthcare
- Appointment booking and rescheduling
- Lab report notifications
- Follow-up reminders with suggested actions
Everywhere plain SMS currently feels incomplete, RCS naturally steps in.
9. How Pingverse Helps Brands Make the Transition Smoothly
Moving from basic SMS to RCS doesn’t have to be complex.
The Pingverse SMS RCS platform helps Indian brands:
- Get started with RCS without disrupting existing SMS flows
- Create rich RCS templates (cards, carousels, buttons)
- Implement smart fallback: RCS → SMS when not supported
- Plug in WhatsApp journeys alongside RCS
- Use AI and automation for two-way messaging for businesses
- Track performance with unified analytics across all channels
So instead of asking “Should we shift to RCS?”, brands can ask a much smarter question:
“Which journeys should we upgrade to RCS first for maximum impact?”
Concluding Remarks
For many Indian consumers, messaging is the most natural way to interact with brands. As expectations grow, basic text-only SMS will increasingly feel outdated for anything beyond simple alerts.
RCS brings:
- Interactivity
- Visual richness
- Trust
- Measurability
- App-like experiences - without apps
And when combined with SMS and WhatsApp on a unified RCS Messaging Platform like Pingverse, it creates a powerful canvas for brands to design journeys that truly resonate.
RCS won’t just replace basic SMS.
It will redefine what messaging means for both consumers and businesses in India.
