This isn’t Apple at its nicest, but it’s understandable. Most messaging platforms (including platform agnostic ones like WhatsApp) aren’t working for interoperability. As discussed on ATP, there likely isn’t any features that would compel people to switch, so lock in (or just what you happen to be with) is the best thing that platforms have to keep customers.
It’s not “the industry” pushing Apple to adopt RCS, it’s Google. They couldn’t get their messaging strategy right (creating multiple platforms, letting most of them die) so they don’t have a great platform themselves. Absent that, they want Apple to adopt RCS to stop customers from leaving Google to better communicate with at least Apple people. It would only benefit Google and not help Apple.
Sure it’s not great for customers but looking at the industry no one is really doing great at making a universal interoperable messaging system.