ServiceMOFU
SMS and RCS: compliant, deliverable, still effective
The short answer
SMS in India is a regulated channel, and most delivery problems are compliance problems. Under TRAI's DLT framework, every sender header and message template must be registered, and unregistered or mismatched content simply doesn't deliver. Get that right and SMS remains reliable and universal — every phone receives it, with or without a data connection or an app.
PMG sets up DLT registration properly, separates transactional from promotional routes, and uses SMS for what it does best: alerts, confirmations, OTPs, and fallback when richer channels fail.
Where SMS earns its place
- Transactional alerts — order, dispatch, delivery and payment confirmation
- OTPs and authentication
- COD confirmation as a fallback when WhatsApp isn't read
- Tier-2 and tier-3 reach where smartphone and data usage are less consistent
- Appointment and site-visit reminders with high delivery reliability
- Time-critical offers to opted-in customers
RCS: SMS with rich media
RCS Business Messaging adds branding, images, carousels and buttons inside the native messaging app on supported Android devices, with SMS as an automatic fallback. For brands whose customers lean Android — most of India — it's worth testing for promotional and transactional journeys.
DLT compliance checklist
- Principal Entity registration on a DLT platform
- Sender headers registered by category
- Content templates registered with variable placeholders
- Consent templates for promotional messaging
- Promotional messages sent only during permitted hours
- Opt-out honoured promptly
How we set it up
- Register the entity, headers and templates on DLT.
- Choose a gateway with good delivery rates and reporting.
- Integrate with your store or CRM for triggered messages.
- Build flows — transactional first, promotional only to consented segments.
- Monitor delivery and failures by template.
SMS or WhatsApp?
- Delivery — SMS reaches every phone; WhatsApp needs the app and a data connection
- Richness — WhatsApp supports images, buttons, catalogues and two-way chat; SMS is text only (RCS adds richness on Android)
- Cost — SMS is usually cheaper per message; WhatsApp costs vary by message category
- Read rates — WhatsApp is typically read far more often
- Compliance — SMS requires DLT registration; WhatsApp requires opt-in and approved templates
- Best use — SMS for OTPs, alerts and fallback; WhatsApp for conversations, cart recovery and COD confirmation
How does DLT registration work for SMS in India?
Under TRAI's Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, businesses sending commercial SMS must register on a telecom operator's Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform. The steps:
- Register as a principal entity (the business) on any operator's DLT portal.
- Register sender IDs (headers) — the six-character name that appears as the sender.
- Register message templates in the right category — transactional, service implicit, service explicit or promotional — with variable fields marked.
- Register consent templates where explicit consent is used.
- Send through a provider that scrubs each message against registered headers, templates and consent.
Messages that don't match a registered template are blocked. See DLT.
When to use SMS vs WhatsApp vs RCS
| Channel | Best for | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | OTPs, critical alerts, reminders, broad reach including feature phones | Plain text, no branding, DLT constraints |
| Conversations, rich media, order updates, marketing to opted-in customers | Per-message charges, needs the app and data | |
| RCS | Rich, branded messages in the native inbox, carousels and buttons | Android-only in practice, device and carrier support varies |
Many brands use WhatsApp as the primary channel with SMS as a fallback for undelivered or critical messages.
What does SMS marketing cost?
SMS is priced per message by providers, with promotional and transactional routes priced differently and volume discounts common. Setup includes DLT registration (a small fee on most operator portals) and template approvals. Agency management covers template design, consent flows, segmentation, integration and reporting, usually alongside email and WhatsApp in a CRM retainer, plus 18% GST.
SMS compliance checklist
- Business registered on DLT, with headers and templates approved
- Templates in the correct category, with variables marked properly
- Consent captured and recorded for promotional or service-explicit messages
- Promotional messages sent only within permitted hours
- Opt-out instructions included where required
- Short links branded and tracked with UTMs
- Sender header consistent with your brand name
What makes an SMS convert?
- Brand name first, so recipients trust the message
- One offer or action, stated in the first line
- A short, branded link — generic shorteners look like spam
- Personalisation that's useful (order number, appointment time), not gimmicky
- Timing matched to behaviour — reminders before appointments, replenishment when stock runs out
SMS by business type
| Business | Best uses | Key metric |
|---|---|---|
| eCommerce | Order updates, flash-sale alerts | Click-through and revenue |
| Banking and fintech | Transactional alerts, OTPs | Delivery rate |
| Retail | Store offers and loyalty | Redemptions |
| Healthcare | Appointment reminders | Attendance |
A worked example: making SMS earn its place
A retailer sent the same promotional SMS to its whole list weekly. We cut promotional sends to engaged customers only, personalised offers by store and purchase history, and moved rich content to WhatsApp — keeping SMS for short, timely alerts. Redemptions rose and opt-outs fell.
How a SMS & RCS Marketing engagement with PMG runs
- Audit (week 0–1). Accounts, analytics, tracking, website, CRM flow and competitors reviewed, with a written list of what's broken, what's wasted and the three moves we'd make first.
- Plan (week 1–2). Break-even ROAS or a target cost per lead, a measurement plan and a 90-day roadmap for SMS & RCS Marketing, with owners and dates.
- Launch (week 2–4). Clean structures, verified conversion signals, the first creative sprint and landing-page fixes.
- Optimise (months 2–3). A weekly test cadence, with budget following the cheapest incremental results rather than platform-reported ones.
- Scale (month 3 onwards). New channels, geographies and retention loops, added only when the economics hold.
Every week you get a one-page scorecard, a change log, the test board and a 30-minute call with your strategist. See how we work and pricing for details.
Why teams choose PMG for SMS & RCS Marketing
- Measurement first. Unit economics and clean tracking come before any increase in spend.
- You own everything. Ad accounts, data and creative stay in your name; ad spend goes straight to the platforms.
- Senior hands on the account. The strategist you speak to is the person running it.
- Weekly transparency. Scorecard, change log and test board — every week.
- Short minimum terms. We keep clients with results, not contracts.
- India and international. One Mumbai team running campaigns across Indian cities and overseas markets, Mon–Sat, 7am–9pm IST.
Where we run SMS & RCS Marketing
We manage SMS & RCS Marketing for businesses across India — including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad — and for companies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Germany. Campaigns are planned market by market, with language, currency, platform mix and privacy rules matched to each. See all Indian locations and international markets.
Free growth audit
Get a written audit for SMS & RCS Marketing.
No sales call required. Tell us where to look; a strategist replies within working hours and sends the written audit within 72 hours.
- Tracking check
- Pixels, Conversions API, GA4 events and offline conversions — what is firing, what is double-counted, what is missing.
- Wasted spend
- Search terms, placements, audiences and overlap that cost money without producing qualified leads or sales.
- Conversion path
- Landing page speed, message match, form friction and follow-up time — where interested people drop off.
- 90-day priorities
- The three changes we would make first, with the metric each one should move.
Frequently asked questions
Why are our SMS messages not delivering?
Most often an unregistered or mismatched template on DLT — even small wording differences from the registered template cause failures.
Is SMS still worth using with WhatsApp available?
For transactional reliability and universal reach, yes. As the main promotional channel, WhatsApp and email usually outperform it.
What does SMS cost?
Per-message costs are low, but vary by route and provider. Factor in DLT and gateway fees.
Why are our SMS messages not being delivered?
Most often: the template doesn't exactly match the registered DLT template, the header isn't linked to it, the message category is wrong, or promotional messages are going to DND numbers. We check each in the DLT portal and provider logs.
Can we send promotional SMS to any number?
No. Promotional messages can't reach numbers registered on the do-not-disturb preference registry unless you have valid consent under the rules. Transactional and service messages follow separate rules.
Is RCS available in India?
RCS business messaging is available on many Android devices through Google's platform and partner providers. Coverage varies by device and carrier, so it's usually deployed with SMS fallback.
How long does DLT registration take?
Entity registration and header approval usually take a few working days; template approvals can be faster once the entity is active.
Should we use SMS for marketing at all?
Selectively — for reminders, time-sensitive offers and audiences who don't engage on WhatsApp or email. For most marketing, WhatsApp and email perform better.
Is SMS still effective?
For short, timely messages — alerts, reminders and limited offers — yes, especially for audiences who don't use WhatsApp for brand messages.
What is RCS messaging?
Rich Communication Services: an upgraded messaging standard that supports images, buttons and branding in the phone's native messaging app.
Is there a long contract?
No. Minimum terms are short, because we would rather keep clients with results than with contracts.
Will we own the ad accounts and data?
Yes. Everything runs in your own accounts with partner access for PMG, and you can see it all at any time.
What do you need from us to start?
Access to ad accounts and analytics, your margins and order values (or deal values), brand assets, and a decision-maker available for a weekly 30-minute call.
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