Key Insight
Step-by-step guide to getting your business verified for RCS messaging in India. Covers DLT registration, RCS Agent profile setup, carrier approval process, and common rejection reasons.
What is RCS Brand Verification?
Before your business can send RCS messages in India, you must go through a brand verification process — registering your business identity with TRAI (via DLT) and each carrier (Jio, Airtel, Vi). This is what earns your messages the verified sender badge and your brand name/logo in the chat header.
Without verification, your messages will either be blocked or delivered without branding — defeating the purpose of RCS.
Why Brand Verification Matters
Verified RCS senders get:
- Your brand name displayed instead of a phone number
- Your logo shown in the chat header
- A verified checkmark that customers recognise as legitimate
- Approved sender status that bypasses spam filters
- Analytics access — read receipts, CTR, delivery data
Unverified messages = no logo, no name, no trust signal.
Step 1 — DLT Registration (TRAI Mandatory)
All business messaging in India — SMS, RCS, WhatsApp Business — must be registered on TRAI's DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) portal. This is non-negotiable.
Documents required for DLT:- Business PAN card
- GST certificate
- Authorization letter on company letterhead
- Your desired sender header (e.g., "SCLFYLBS" for Scalify Labs)
- Airtel DLT: smartconnect.airtel.in
- Jio DLT: trueconnect.jio.com
- Vi DLT: vilpower.in
- TATA: tatatelebusiness.com/dlt-registration
- Videocon/Excitel: mgmt.videoconmail.com
Step 2 — RCS Agent Profile Setup
Your "RCS Agent" is your verified brand identity on the RCS network. It includes:
- Display name: Your official business name (as per GST/registration)
- Logo: High-resolution PNG (recommended 256×256 minimum)
- Description: 1–2 sentence description of your business
- Website URL: Your official website
- Contact phone: Customer-facing phone number
- Privacy policy URL: Mandatory for approval
- Agent type: Transactional, Promotional, or OTP
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Step 3 — Carrier Registration (Jio, Airtel, Vi)
After your RCS Agent is approved on Google Jibe, it must be separately registered and approved by each carrier.
| Carrier | Registration Route | Approval Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Jio | Via Jio Business portal or your RCS aggregator | 3–5 business days |
| Airtel | Via Tanla Platforms (your RCS provider submits) | 3–5 business days |
| Vi | Via Vi Business portal or your RCS aggregator | 5–7 business days |
Step 4 — Template Registration
Each message template (the structure of your campaigns) must be registered on DLT and approved by carriers before it can be sent.
Template categories:- Transactional: OTPs, order updates, appointment reminders (highest priority, fastest approval)
- Service implicit: Follow-up to customer-initiated interaction (appointments, enquiries)
- Service explicit: Marketing to opted-in customers
- Promotional: Bulk promotional campaigns (most scrutiny)
- Fixed header and footer allowed
- Variable sections must be clearly marked (e.g., {#var#})
- Rich media templates (carousels, buttons) require media sample at registration
- One template per campaign type
Common Rejection Reasons and How to Avoid Them
| Rejection Reason | How to Avoid |
|---|---|
| Logo does not match registered brand name | Use exact brand name matching your DLT registration |
| Privacy policy URL not accessible | Ensure your privacy policy page loads without errors |
| Template variables too broad | Define variable length and content type in template |
| DLT registration pending | Complete DLT first before submitting RCS Agent |
| Domain mismatch | Website URL must match your registered business domain |
| Promotional content in transactional template | Do not mix promotional content in transactional templates |
Full Timeline: First Contact to First Campaign
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| DLT registration | 3–5 business days |
| RCS Agent creation + submission | 1 business day |
| Google Jibe approval | 5–7 business days |
| Carrier registration (3 carriers simultaneously) | 3–7 business days |
| Template creation + approval | 2–3 business days |
| Campaign setup and testing | 1 business day |
| Total | 10–14 business days |
All stages can be run with some parallelism — for example, DLT and RCS Agent creation can happen simultaneously. Scalify Labs manages this to minimise total wait time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does RCS brand verification take in India?
10–14 business days from document submission to first campaign. The primary wait time is carrier approval, not setup.
Can I do the verification myself without a platform provider?
Technically yes, but practically difficult. You would need to contact Jio, Airtel, and Vi separately and manage the Google Jibe submission directly. Most businesses use an RCS aggregator (like Scalify Labs) who handles it end-to-end.
Does my RCS Agent need to be re-approved if I change my logo?
Yes. Any change to your RCS Agent profile (logo, name, contact details) requires re-submission and re-approval.
Can one DLT registration cover all carriers?
No. Each carrier has its own DLT portal and you must register on each one where you plan to send messages.
Is GSTIN mandatory for RCS brand verification?
Yes for business entities. For individual proprietors, GST is mandatory if annual turnover exceeds ₹20 lakh; otherwise, PAN-based registration may be accepted depending on the carrier.
Ready to get your brand verified for RCS messaging? Scalify Labs handles the complete verification process — DLT, RCS Agent, carrier registration, and template approval. Start the process →
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