‘India’s communication landscape is unique; it’s not one market, it’s many markets in one’

In the swirling galaxy of tech-enabled communication, few stars shine as brightly — yet as subtly — as Sinch. The global CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) leader powers over 175,000 customers worldwide and connects to more than 600 telecom networks. In a recent conversation for TechTalk with exchange4media, Nitin Singhal, Managing Director of Sinch India, pulled back the curtain on how the company is redefining enterprise-consumer engagement—quietly but at scale.

“If you give me a mobile number, your message will be delivered,” says Singhal with a smile, summing up Sinch’s audacious global promise. And with over 100 billion messages coursing through its infrastructure annually, it’s not just a line—it’s a lived reality.

Singhal's conversation is a deep dive into how communication has evolved from simple text pings to multi-modal, AI-enhanced, real-time digital dialogues. “We’ve come a long way from just SMS. Now, you have WhatsApp, RCS, email, voice bots—all coexisting,” he explains. “And we make it simple. In fact, that’s what ‘Sinch’ literally stands for—simplicity.”

And simple it is—on the surface. Beneath, there's a complex technological ballet powering time-sensitive, data-sensitive messaging across industries ranging from banking and insurance to FMCG and retail. In India alone, Sinch supports more than 500 enterprises, helping them navigate this communication multiverse.

“If you’ve received a message from your bank, a delivery update, or a promotional notification, there’s a high chance Sinch had a role in making it happen,” Singhal notes. These interactions, often unnoticed by consumers, are critical brand touchpoints. That they happen seamlessly—and securely—is testament to the infrastructure Sinch has painstakingly built.

That trust, especially from sensitive verticals like BFSI, doesn’t come easily. “Almost all large banks in India, more than 70 of them, use Sinch services—SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, email, and voice. Even NBFCs. And it's not just about volume, but about delivering value,” he says. “It’s our values—‘win together’, ‘make it happen’, ‘keep it simple’, and ‘dream big’—that have helped us earn that trust.”

An anecdote illustrates his point. A major motorcycle brand once accidentally deleted all their pre-approved SMS templates just two days before a big campaign. “They called us in a panic. We weren’t obligated to, but we put our heads together and managed to restore everything in time. That’s what customer trust is built on,” Singhal recounts.

With India’s unique communication landscape—its multitude of languages, regulatory requirements, and consumer nuances—Singhal believes local expertise is crucial. “India is not one market. It’s many markets in one. There’s a big need for localization, vernacular content, regulatory compliance—like not sending messages after a certain hour—and regional platform preferences. We cater to all of it.”

This includes the evolving preference matrix. “Tier 2 and 3 users prefer WhatsApp. Tier 1 is exploring RCS. Some skip email altogether and still use SMS. Each brand, each region, each campaign has a different need. That’s where our platform shines,” he says.

A significant part of the conversation centered on RCS (Rich Communication Services), the emerging protocol that merges the richness of OTT messaging with the accessibility of SMS. “RCS didn’t quite work the first time around. But now it’s gaining momentum fast,” he says. While WhatsApp has crossed 600 million users in India, RCS trails slightly at over 400 million—but it’s closing in.

“RCS allows you to send videos, images, payment prompts, even calendar actions and location maps—all in one verified, branded message,” he explains. “It’s also more cost-effective, which makes it attractive for brands.” The caveat: universal reach is still a work in progress. But with Google pushing hard and brands showing interest, RCS may soon be mainstream.

Singhal is especially bullish about conversational commerce—the seamless melding of chat, AI, and transaction. “Earlier, you needed a catalog and a sales team. Now, you can automate the entire flow—from showing the product, to answering queries, to completing the transaction, and even sharing delivery updates—all through a chat window,” he says.

“Last year, conversational commerce needed human intervention. This year, it’s AI-led,” he says, noting that intelligent bots can now infer intent, connect with enterprise databases, and even make product recommendations in real time.

Sinch supports this transformation with pre-built “flows”—automation blueprints for common needs like customer acquisition, support, order changes, collections, and more. “For SMBs, it’s a plug-and-play system. We handle the complexity; they handle the business,” he says. Enterprises, on the other hand, get a clean slate to customize journeys to the finest detail.

“What’s exciting is that platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram are now enabling in-app commerce,” he shares. “No more browser drop-offs. Everything from discovery to payment can happen within the app. It’s a game-changer.”

While the tools of engagement are cutting-edge, Singhal’s views on AI are grounded. “I use ChatGPT and Gemini personally. Sometimes one gives better answers than the other. But I always add my own layer of intuition and creativity. AI is great, but it should augment, not replace, human insight,” he says.

He smiles as he recalls introducing ChatGPT to his son—only to be told that the next generation is already several steps ahead. “He told me, ‘I already use it. You’re late.’ That was a reality check,” Singhal laughs.

As for what sets Sinch apart, it’s not just the tech. It’s the ability to execute. “We deal with 100 billion messages a year. We power campaigns during flash sales, send real-time banking alerts, and ensure every message gets through—even when the stakes are high,” he says.

“In India, if someone told me they wanted to deliver a message to every single mobile phone in the country, Sinch is the only one that can do it. No other provider,” he says with quiet pride.

For Sinch, simplicity is power. And as businesses look to scale their digital conversations, that promise—"If you give me a mobile number, your message will be delivered"—isn’t just a snappy quote. It’s a global guarantee.