Inside #GROWTH with RCS: The hottest new messaging channel for Indian Brands in 2025

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In India’s competitive market, brands are constantly vying for customer attention on mobile screens. The challenge has always been a trade-off between the broad reach of ignored plain-text SMS and the rich, but fragmented, experience of expensive OTT apps like WhatsApp.

RCS Business Messaging is changing this by combining the universal reach of SMS with the interactive features of WhatsApp campaigns, all within the phone’s native messaging inbox. In 2025, RCS is quickly becoming the most effective channel for Indian brands to build meaningful conversations with their mobile-first audience. At MoEngage, we’ve seen a 9x increase in RCS adoption recently, with over 50 leading Indian brands leveraging it to boost conversion rates, click-through rates, and read rates.

A Gathering of Industry Leaders and Innovators

To address the growing demand and interest around RCS, MoEngage recently hosted an event in partnership with Google and Infobip. This gathering brought together brands and industry leaders to help them understand how to get started with RCS, cut through the noise, drive real revenue, and delight customers.

The event kicked off with a deep dive into the power of RCS, showcasing how it provides a rich, interactive experience directly within the native messaging app on a user’s phone. This allows brands to engage with customers in a way that was previously only possible through fragmented, expensive OTT apps.

Panel Discussion with Real-world Customer Insights

The heart of the event was marked by thought-provoking discussions featuring business leaders like Spandana Dhaduti, GTM for RCS for Business at Google, Prashant Lakhotia, Lead Retention Marketing at Olyv (formerly Smartcoin), Paritosh Gandhi, Director – AI Consulting and Strategic Partnerships at Infobip and Gurpreet Singh, Principal Product Manager at MoEngage. 

The panel discussion dived deep into real-world applications of RCS, with our expert speakers sharing their experiences in building successful campaigns. The discussions centered on how this channel creates a direct, engaging line of communication with customers. Our panelists addressed common market challenges, such as low engagement rates and fragmented customer journeys, and emphasized how RCS is a game-changer. They highlighted its ability to enable brands to send rich, interactive messages that not only grab customer attention but also drive tangible action.

Key Takeaways and Insights

• RCS as a “Universal App Store”: One of the most compelling visions presented was that RCS could act as a “universal smartphone standard or a protocol” similar to a brand’s own app store, but without the need for customers to download separate apps. This positions RCS not just as a messaging upgrade, but as a new channel for direct brand engagement.
• The “Black and White TV” Analogy: Spandana from Google stated a simple yet powerful analogy used to differentiate RCS from SMS, “Why use a black and white TV when you have a colored TV?” This metaphor effectively encapsulates how RCS elevates the user experience by adding rich media, branding, and interactive elements to the basic text format of SMS.
• Impactful Use Cases: Prashant Lakhotia from Olyv and Paritosh Gandhi from Infobip, highlighted that the most impactful use cases for RCS go beyond simple promotional messages. Key areas for revenue growth and engagement include:
  • Post-Purchase Engagements: Enhancing transactional updates with features like live tracking and actionable buttons.
  • Service Marketing: Using RCS for renewals, lead qualifications, and service-related communications.
  • Customer Reactivation: Nurturing dormant customers with personalized offers and rich features like carousels.
    
• Coexistence, Not Replacement: A recurring theme was that RCS should not be seen as a replacement for other channels like SMS and WhatsApp, but rather as a crucial part of a multi-channel strategy. The panelists argued that different channels will serve different audience cohorts and use cases. Brands should use A/B testing and data to determine the right channel for each specific communication need.
• Building Trust and Security: The discussion emphasized the importance of RCS as a safe and secure channel. Features like verified logos and tick marks build brand affinity and trust, which was a key reason for early adoption by the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector.

How Can Brands Get Started with RCS?

For brands hesitant to try RCS, a successful RCS implementation isn’t about a “big bang” launch. It’s a strategic, phased approach focused on solving real customer problems.

• Identify High-Impact Use Cases: Start with campaigns where rich content makes a difference, such as abandoned cart reminders, flash sale announcements, or interactive order confirmations.
• Segment Your Audience: Target users based on their behavior or purchase history to ensure your messages are relevant and impactful.
• Design Conversion-Focused Content: Create compelling content with clear, action-oriented text on your buttons and engaging images in your carousels.
• Integrate with Existing Channels: Redirect some of your existing SMS or WhatsApp campaigns to RCS. Be sure to include an SMS fallback to guarantee your messages reach everyone.
• Measure and Optimize: Track your click-through rates and conversion uplift. Use this data to refine your strategy and expand your use of RCS over time.

Conclusion: What’s Next for Brand 

The event concluded with a networking session, but the conversation was far from over. In a market as fierce as India, staying ahead isn’t just about doing more of the same; it’s about communicating smarter. The question is no longer if RCS will become a dominant B2C communication channel, but when. For brands that act now, it presents a rare opportunity to gain a significant competitive advantage, build deeper customer relationships, and open up a net new revenue stream.

MoEngage and Infobip help bring this vision to life. By combining Infobip’s global messaging infrastructure capability with MoEngage’s powerful analytics, segmentation, and omnichannel engagement capabilities, brands can drive higher business ROI using RCS messages across every touchpoint.

Want to get started experimenting with RCS as a marketing channel or explore how this could work for your brand? Let’s Connect.