Apps come and go, but the humble SMS has stayed on every phone in India. It needs no download, no login and no internet connection, which is exactly why businesses of every size still rely on it. Whether you want to announce an offer, confirm an order or send a login code, bulk SMS is a simple and dependable way to reach people.
This guide draws on the bulk SMS service provider in India page from MetaReach Marketing. Here is a plain overview of what bulk SMS is, what types exist and what to check before you start.
What Is a Bulk SMS Service?
Bulk SMS lets a business send text messages to many people at once through a platform or an API, instead of typing them one by one. You upload your contacts, write your message, schedule it if you like and track what was delivered. It suits everything from a local shop sending a festive offer to an online store sending thousands of order updates.
The Three Main Types
- Promotional SMS: offers, discounts and campaigns for opted-in customers. DND numbers are filtered out, and promotional messages can go only to non-DND numbers between 9 AM and 9 PM IST.
- Transactional SMS: order confirmations, delivery updates, reminders and alerts, which can be sent around the clock.
- OTP SMS: one-time passwords for logins and payments, with priority routing and API integration.
Transactional and OTP messages are generally not subject to promotional DND preferences when registered under the applicable non-promotional category. That registration matters, so get it right.
Features Worth Looking For
- Live, timestamped delivery reports with CSV or Excel export
- Delivery webhooks, so your own systems know what happened
- A REST API and SMPP connectivity, with a sandbox for testing
- API key authentication, with IP whitelisting on request
- Scheduling, plus contact upload by Excel or CSV and contact groups on higher tiers
- Help with DLT registration, sender headers and template approval
Why DLT Registration Comes First
Every business that sends bulk SMS in India must be DLT-registered under TRAI regulations. Without it, your messages will simply not be delivered on any mobile network. The process covers your entity, your sender header and your message templates. MetaReach handles this for you, and its DLT help is described as free of charge. Note that the telecom operator may charge its own one-time registration fee separately, so ask for the full picture.
Getting Started in Four Steps
- Register for an account. Share your use case and expected volume.
- Complete DLT setup. The team handles the registration and template approval.
- Upload your contacts. Use Excel, CSV or the API.
- Write, schedule and send. Then track delivery from the dashboard.
How Pricing Works
Rates fall as your monthly volume rises, and the same slab applies to promotional, transactional and OTP messages. All figures are per SMS and exclude 18% GST:
- 5,000 to 9,999 SMS: ₹0.40
- 10,000 to 19,999 SMS: ₹0.30
- 20,000 to 49,999 SMS: ₹0.20
- 50,000 to 99,999 SMS: ₹0.15
- 1 lakh to 5 lakh SMS: ₹0.12
Volumes below 5,000 or above 5 lakh are quoted individually. Unicode messages, such as Hindi or Bengali, use the same slab rate but fit 70 characters per SMS and are billed per segment. Pricing is based on published rates as of July 2026 and may change, so confirm the current terms before you commit.