India's #1 Bulk SMS Service Provider — DLT Compliant, Instant Delivery

Bulk SMS Service in India — Complete Guide

What is Bulk SMS and How Does it Work?

Bulk SMS is a communication service that allows businesses, organisations, and government bodies to send large volumes of SMS messages simultaneously to thousands or lakhs of mobile phone numbers at once. Unlike individual SMS sent from a personal phone, bulk SMS is sent through a dedicated SMS gateway platform — like Fivo SMS — that connects directly to Indian telecom networks (Jio, Airtel, Vi, BSNL) to deliver messages instantly and reliably.

In India, all bulk SMS must comply with TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) regulations under the TCCCPR 2018 framework, which requires businesses to register on the DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) portal before sending any commercial SMS. Fivo SMS manages this compliance process end-to-end for all customers.

Types of Bulk SMS Services in India

Fivo SMS offers three primary types of bulk SMS, each regulated differently under TRAI rules:

• Transactional SMS — Service messages relating to an existing customer relationship (order updates, payment confirmations, OTP, appointment reminders, bank alerts). DND-exempt — delivered 24×7 to all numbers.
• Promotional SMS — Marketing messages to opted-in audiences (offers, discounts, campaigns, new product announcements). Subject to DND restrictions — delivered between 9 AM and 9 PM only to non-DND numbers.
• OTP SMS — One-time passwords for authentication. A specialised transactional route with the highest delivery priority and sub-5-second delivery targets.

What is DLT Registration and Why is it Mandatory?

DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) registration is mandatory for all businesses sending bulk SMS in India under TRAI TCCCPR 2018. The DLT system requires every business (Principal Entity / PE) to register their company, Sender IDs, and SMS templates on a TRAI-approved DLT portal. Bulk SMS sent without DLT registration is blocked by Indian telecom networks and does not reach recipients.

Fivo SMS provides complete, free DLT registration assistance to all customers — including PE registration, Sender ID approval, template registration with pre-tagged variables (mandatory from October 2024), and the PE-TM binding chain that authorises Fivo SMS to send on your behalf.

Bulk SMS Pricing in India

Bulk SMS pricing in India is based on the volume of SMS credits purchased. Fivo SMS offers India's most transparent and competitive bulk SMS pricing — starting from ₹0.20 per SMS for 10,000 credits and reducing to ₹0.14 per SMS for 5,00,000 credits. All prices are subject to 18% GST as mandated under the CGST Act 2017. There are no monthly fees, no API charges, no DLT support fees, and no hidden charges on the Fivo SMS platform.

Bulk SMS for Business — Key Use Cases in India

Businesses across India use bulk SMS for a wide range of communication needs, including e-commerce order and delivery notifications, banking and financial transaction alerts, school and college fee reminders and exam notifications, hospital appointment reminders, real estate site visit confirmations, travel booking confirmations, political campaign outreach, retail promotional offers, and OTP authentication for digital services. The 98% SMS open rate in India — compared to 20–25% for email — makes bulk SMS the highest-ROI digital communication channel for Indian businesses.