Airtel and Google Partner to Bring RCS Messaging to India

Airtel has entered a significant partnership with Google to introduce Rich Communication Services messaging on its network, marking a major shift in India’s evolving communication landscape, as per The Economic Times. 

The move ends a year-long distance between the two companies and aligns Airtel with other major telecom operators that have already embraced RCS as an advanced alternative to SMS. 

Airtel Partners with Google for RCS Rollout 

Airtel will begin offering RCS using Google’s platform under a commercial model that charges ₹0.11 per message, supported by an 80:20 revenue share. The collaboration was confirmed after Google agreed to integrate the technology with Airtel’s intelligent spam filter. 

This partnership follows Airtel’s earlier reluctance to join RCS due to concerns around encrypted channels potentially increasing spam. Google’s agreement to enable RCS only through Airtel’s AI-driven filters appears to have cleared the path for the deal.  

With this development, all 3 of India’s major telecom operators Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea, now support RCS, creating a unified ecosystem poised to challenge WhatsApp’s dominance in business messaging. 

RCS Adoption Set to Reshape India’s Messaging Market 

With the entry of Airtel, operators are expected to begin the next phase of discussions focused on off-net RCS interoperability. This could lead to the introduction of an interconnect usage charge as part of a new telco-controlled messaging network.  

Google continues to play the role of a platform provider while telecom firms prepare to handle pricing, service rules and cross-network connectivity. 

RCS was originally developed by the GSMA in 2007 as a modern alternative to SMS, offering features such as group chats, read receipts, encryption, location sharing and high-resolution file transfers.  

Adoption remained slow for years until Google enabled RCS directly through its Messages app in 2019, beginning in the UK and France. Google Messages now handles around one billion RCS messages daily, making it the primary driver of global RCS usage. 

Read More: Always-On Phone Tracking Proposal Under Govt Review; Apple, Samsung and Google Raise Concerns! 

Bharti Airtel Share Price Performance  

As of December 8, 2025, at 2:20 PM, Bharti Airtel Ltd share price is trading at ₹2,079 per share, reflecting a decline of 1.41% from the previous closing price. Over the past month, the stock has gained by 2.93%. 

Conclusion 

Airtel’s move to adopt RCS with Google signals a major shift in India’s messaging landscape. With enhanced media features, stronger spam controls and growing operator collaboration, the partnership lays the groundwork for RCS to become a central technology in the country’s future communication ecosystem. 

Disclaimer: This blog has been written exclusively for educational purposes. The securities mentioned are only examples and not recommendations. This does not constitute a personal recommendation/investment advice. It does not aim to influence any individual or entity to make investment decisions. Recipients should conduct their own research and assessments to form an independent opinion about investment decisions.  

Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.