If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
SMS gets ignored. Other channels are costly. Where’s the middle ground?
Businesses need an engaging, cost-effective, and widely accessible messaging solution. That’s where RCS (Rich Communication Services) fits in.
It combines SMS’s reach with the interactivity of modern messaging apps, offering verified, media-rich conversations without the high costs of third-party platforms.
Today’s consumers expect more. They want interactive, visual, and—above all—helpful messaging. They want to browse, ask questions, and even make purchases without switching between apps.
That’s exactly what RCS for Business delivers.
We spoke to Spandana Dhaduti, GTM, RCS for Business at Google, about everything RCS and paying attention to it in 2025.
RCS isn’t just an upgrade to SMS—it’s an entirely new way for brands to have real conversations with customers. It’s about creating a messaging experience that’s richer, safer, and more intuitive than anything we’ve seen before. RCS fits into every stage of a brand’s marketing funnel, from lead generation to post-purchase support.
From banking to agritech, e-commerce to healthcare, brands are already seeing massive results with RCS. But what does that look like in action?
Got doubts about who RCS is for or where it can (or can’t) be used? Here are case studies that bust every myth.
How Axis Bank Made Finance More Human
Banking is personal. Whether applying for a loan or choosing a credit card, customers want to feel in control of their decisions.
That’s why Axis Bank turned to RCS.
Instead of bombarding customers with generic promotional texts, they built an interactive chatbot experience that helped users discover personalized financial products based on their needs.
Here’s how it worked:
✅ Customers received an RCS message with a simple, conversational prompt.
✅ A chatbot guided them through options—loans, credit cards, or other banking services.
✅ Users could select their interests and get instant, relevant recommendations.
And the results?
- 45% of cross-sell opportunities enabled for loans, credit cards, and FDs.
- 6.5% of service requests created.
- 2000+ Users activated through the chatbot.
BigHaat: Personalized, Scalable Farmer Engagement
Now, let’s flip the script. What happens when you take RCS beyond urban audiences and into rural India?
Agritech brand BigHaat had a challenge: reaching farmers across multiple states, many of whom spoke regional languages. Traditional SMS wasn’t cutting it—it was too impersonal, too text-heavy, and often ignored.
With RCS, BigHaat completely transformed its outreach:
🎯 They sent rich media messages with images and carousels, making information easy to digest.
🌱 They enabled regional language support, ensuring farmers could use their preferred language.
💬 They created a two-way conversational flow where farmers could explore products and ask questions.
And here’s the kicker: RCS proved that customers crave smarter, interactive messaging even in rural markets.
Many brands assume that richer messaging formats only work in urban settings. BigHaat’s success proves otherwise—if the experience is intuitive and valuable, people will engage, no matter where they are.
Why RCS for Business is the Future
These case studies highlight one truth: Customers want better conversations, not just better ads.
Why Should Brands Make the Switch?
💡 Verified, Trustworthy Messaging: Customers see a verified badge, official branding, and secure links, so they know exactly who they’re talking to.
Why would you interact with an unknown number when you could chat with a verified business profile? RCS eliminates that little trust gap.
💡 Richer, More Engaging Content: Images, carousels, videos, suggested replies, and even payment options—all inside the messaging app.
Because why send a plain text message when you could send:
📸 Product images & carousels
🎥 Videos
🛒 Buy now buttons
📅 Calendar invites
📍 Google Maps location sharing
Brands can engage users in real time without needing them to click an external link.
💡 Measurable & Optimizable | Unlike SMS, RCS lets brands track:
📊 Read rates: Know how many people saw your message.
📊 Click-through rates: See how many users engaged with your content.
📊 Conversions: Measure real impact, from inquiries to completed transactions.
💡 Seamless Funnel Integration: RCS powers the entire customer journey—from awareness to post-purchase support—enhancing, not replacing, existing channels.
P2A: Turning One-Way Messages into Conversations
Most business messaging is push-based—brands reach out, and customers either engage or ignore it. But RCS for Business flips that model, allowing customers to start conversations on their terms.
Imagine searching for a brand on Google, and instead of calling, you get to click on the ‘Chat with Live Agent’ button right from the search results.
That’s the future of customer support—frictionless, instant, and already here with RCS.
What’s Next for RCS?
RCS isn’t just growing—it’s exploding. In 2024 alone, RCS for Business adoption in India grew 10x, with brands across banking, e-commerce, fintech, and agritech embracing it.
- Dual SIM Support: Expanding reach by allowing messages on primary & secondary SIMs.
- Google Wallet Integration: Making transactions seamless within RCS.
- Native Integrations: Creating engagement with Google Maps, video/audio files, 2-way PDF sharing, and more.
- Add-to-Calendar: Whether it’s a doctor’s appointment, a sale event, or a flight reminder, brands can let users save events directly to Google Calendar.
RCS for Business isn’t just an evolution—it’s a complete rethinking of what brand messaging should be. And we’re just getting started. Moreover, There’s a massive push to make RCS the gold standard for business messaging. These updates will give brands even more flexibility to create frictionless, conversion-driven conversations.
When to use RCS vs. SMS?
- Use RCS when you want engagement. Its rich media, carousels, and suggested actions make it perfect for marketing, customer service, and lead generation.
- Use SMS for failsafe delivery. Since RCS requires an internet connection, SMS remains a backup option for low-connectivity situations.
Final Thoughts: The Time to Adopt RCS is Now
RCS for Business is more than just an upgrade. It’s about making brand communication richer, more secure, and more human.
For brands looking to build trust, drive engagement, and create meaningful interactions, the message is clear:
