India, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic digital communication markets in the world, is about to witness a revolutionary shift. Apple and Reliance Jio have joined forces to bring Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging to iPhones in India, just ahead of the global launch of the iPhone 17 series on September 9, 2025.
This collaborative breakthrough transforms native messaging on iPhones, offering Jio’s massive subscriber base of over 490 million users an enriched messaging experience—redefining how we communicate on mobile.
RCS, conceived by the global telecom industry body GSMA in 2007, is the next-generation messaging protocol designed to upgrade and replace traditional SMS. It blends the reliability of carrier-based messaging with the rich features that users expect from over-the-top (OTT) apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and iMessage.
Unlike the limited capabilities of SMS, RCS offers:
High-resolution photo and video sharing, even large files, over WiFi and mobile data
Interactive group chats with typing indicators and read receipts akin to the “blue ticks” iPhone users love
End-to-end encryption for enhanced security, addressing concerns around phishing and spam
Seamless file transfers and location sharing within the native messaging app
No extra cost for Jio subscribers using RCS, encouraging wide adoption
Jio’s dominant market presence combined with Apple’s global influence ensures that RCS arrives in India at scale and with a robust infrastructure. This partnership is a timely evolution as India emerges as one of the largest RCS markets in the world by message volume, promising to rival OTT platforms’ dominance in business and personal communication.
For the first time, iPhone users in India will enjoy seamless messaging interoperability across devices and carriers, breaking down the “blue bubble” and “green bubble” divide that has long fragmented conversations between iOS and Android users.
Enterprises stand to benefit tremendously. Rich Messaging opens new avenues for customer engagement — from personalized marketing campaigns to high-security transactional alerts in BFSI, retail, healthcare, and more. Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging revenues in India are expected to skyrocket, with RCS projected to account for over $544 million by 2029, fueled by this carrier-led innovation.
At CERF Solutions, we deeply understand the transformative potential of RCS and next-gen communication. As a leader in CPaaS and unified communication platforms, CERF Solutions is uniquely positioned to help enterprises unlock the full benefit of RCS on iPhones and beyond.
Our powerful, cloud-native platforms empower businesses to:
Integrate RCS seamlessly alongside SMS, voice, WhatsApp, and AI-driven chatbots
Automate customer journeys with personalized, rich messaging content
Maintain robust compliance, consent, and data privacy frameworks
Scale effortlessly to meet growing customer engagement demands
This partnership between Apple and Jio perfectly aligns with CERF’s mission to enable digital-first communication, fostering trusted and interactive customer experiences that deliver tangible business value.
India’s leap into the future of messaging is imminent and unstoppable. With CERF Solutions as your technology and innovation partner, your organization can be at the forefront of this digital wave—leveraging RCS to enhance loyalty, boost operational efficiency, and drive growth.
Join us as Apple and Jio rewrite the rules of mobile communication in India. Together, let’s redefine how the world connects.
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