SMS marketing cost in India 2026: pricing, DLT, and effectiveness

How much does SMS marketing cost in India in 2026? DLT compliance, transactional vs promotional, and real ROI benchmarks.

SMS marketing in India costs ₹0.10–₹0.20 per promotional SMS and ₹0.15–₹0.25 per transactional/OTP SMS. DGTG's 100M+ phone database delivers blast SMS campaigns with verified DLT registration and 95%+ deliverability.

Cost per SMS

Promotional bulk SMS: ₹0.10–₹0.20. Transactional/OTP: ₹0.15–₹0.25. RCS (rich SMS with images): ₹0.50–₹2.00. WhatsApp Business: ₹0.40–₹1.20 per conversation.

DLT compliance

Mandatory in India since 2020. Sender ID (6-character header), content template, and consent must all be DLT-registered. Non-compliance = blocked delivery. DGTG handles DLT for all client campaigns.

When SMS wins over WhatsApp

For older demographics, rural / tier-3 audiences, and high-urgency alerts (sale-day flashes, OTPs), SMS still beats WhatsApp on open rate (~95%) and read time (under 3 min).

When to use DGTG's 100M+ SMS database

For mass outreach, concurrency campaigns (timed blasts to drive surge), and re-engagement of dormant audiences. We segment by 200+ attributes.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to send 1 million SMS in India?

₹1L–₹2L for promotional SMS (at ₹0.10–₹0.20 per message). Add ₹10K–₹20K for DLT template setup if you're new. Total turnaround: 24–48 hours from approval.

What is DLT and why is it required?

Distributed Ledger Technology, TRAI's framework to register every sender, header, and template to block spam. Mandatory for all transactional and promotional SMS in India.

Can I send to my own customer list?

Yes, if they've given consent. You'll need to DLT-register your sender ID and template. DGTG handles this end-to-end for clients.