India’s enterprise messaging market is set to ascend into a new phase as Tanla Platforms announces a partnership with Bharti Airtel to enable Rich Communication Services (RCS) business messaging.
The collaboration strengthens Tanla’s reach across major telecom networks. This will boost the adoption of interactive business messaging in India’s fast-growing digital communications ecosystem.
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Airtel Partnership Expands Tanla’s RCS Footprint
Businesses subscribing to Tanla can now deliver RCS-based communications to Airtel subscribers. This allows brands to move beyond conventional SMS & engage with customers through richer messaging formats.
The agreement follows Tanla’s earlier collaboration with Vodafone Idea, giving the company access to India’s largest private telecom operator.
Tanla said it currently processes around 35 billion RCS messages annually, accounting for nearly 80% of India’s RCS traffic. The company estimates that its overall RCS volumes could rise to 100 billion messages within the next two years following the Airtel partnership.
The development comes at a time when telecom operators and technology firms are increasingly focusing on next-generation messaging channels as enterprises look for more interactive ways to engage customers.
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RCS Adoption Gains Momentum Across India
RCS is an advanced version of SMS that supports rich media, interactive features and verified business messaging. The service enables brands to deliver highly engaging and functional customer communications directly through a user’s native messaging app.
Lately, RCS has been positioned as an upgraded messaging standard, supporting features such as verified business messaging, media sharing, read receipts and interactive customer engagement.
Industry adoption has accelerated with support from major telecom operators, including Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea. The Airtel-Tanla collaboration further syncs with broader efforts to strengthen messaging ecosystems in India.
Earlier this year, Airtel entered into a partnership with Google to enhance spam protection and security capabilities in RCS messaging, with a focus on reliable enterprise communications. India’s Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) sector is expected to grow strongly over the coming years.
Industry experts note that this will be supported by rising digital engagement, growing demand for business messaging and the wider adoption of channels such as RCS and WhatsApp. Industry forecasts suggest these platforms will capture an increasingly larger share of the commercial messaging market as enterprises shift toward richer customer communication tools.
Samarjit Kaur is a journalist and communications professional covering technology & emerging digital trends. With a focus on clarity and context, she reports on developments shaping industries and governance. When not reporting, she chooses to plug-in and relax on her playlists and plan her next bucket-list trips!
