Zoho’s Arattai Becomes India’s Trending Messaging App with Rapid Growth

India is seeing a huge change in the messaging app environment, with Arattai, a locally developed platform built by Zoho Corporation, rising to become number one in the Apple App Store's Social Networking category. Billed as India's own messaging solution, Arattai is fast picking up among users seeking a secure, simple, and Made-in-India solution.

Released in January 2021, Arattai entered the market just as WhatsApp had publicized controversial plans for changes to its privacy policy. Ever since, it has gradually established a committed user base, and in recent weeks, its popularity has exploded.

Why Arattai Is in the Spotlight

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently urged Indians to switch to Arattai, calling it “free, easy-to-use, secure, safe, and made in India.” He also emphasized that the app aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swadeshi vision, encouraging people to support indigenous technology solutions.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Pradhan wrote:

This endorsement has further boosted Arattai’s visibility, making it a strong competitor to international giants like WhatsApp and Telegram.

What Is Arattai?

The word “Arattai” means casual chat in Tamil, and true to its name, the app provides a smooth and user-friendly messaging experience. Much like WhatsApp, Arattai offers a range of features designed for personal and professional use:

• Text and voice messaging

• Voice and video calls

• Photo, video, and document sharing

• Stories, groups, and channels

• Multi-device support (up to five devices across smartphones, tablets, and desktops)

• Import conversations from other chat platforms

These features make Arattai a versatile app, capable of serving as a daily driver for both casual and business communication.

Security Issues

Security is one of the most critical features of any messaging app. Arattai offers end-to-end encryption on calls, meaning only the receiver and sender have access to the conversation. Messages, though, are not yet end-to-end encrypted, something that could prove to be a privacy issue for some users.

Zoho has recognized these shortcomings and will implement improved security updates in the future to make the platform more secure from data breaches or third-party interceptions.

Who Can Use Arattai?

Arattai can be used by anyone. The app can be downloaded by users on both Android (Google Play Store) and iOS (Apple App Store). Sign-up is easy — just a mobile number is required to begin with.

This accessibility comes with the fact that anyone in India, and indeed everywhere in the world, can make Arattai their go-to messaging app.

Supported by Zoho Corporation

The credibility of Arattai is further boosted by the fact that it is from Zoho Corporation, a software behemoth based in Chennai, established in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas.

Zoho is not a newbie in the world of technology. With more than 55 business applications in the areas of CRM, HR, email, accounting, and project management, Zoho has established itself as a respectable name in business software. Presently, Zoho supports over 130 million users in 150 countries, with industry giants such as Amazon, Netflix, Deloitte, Toyota, Sony, Puma, and L'Oreal on its client list.

With this robust support, Arattai is on firm footing and can emerge as a global messaging player.

Arattai Experiences Explosive Growth

Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu announced that Arattai saw 100x traffic growth in three days, with sign-ups per day jumping from 3,000 to 350,000.

This record growth points to the need for Indian alternatives within the tech space and proves that Arattai has earned the trust and attention of users in record time.

With its quick uptick, government support, and Zoho's sturdy foundation, Arattai is positioned to become India's version of WhatsApp. Although there are still aspects to work on, particularly message encryption, the app's growth pattern at present means that it is a serious contender to reach mainstream usage among millions of users in the near future.

For those looking for a Swadeshi, safe, and feature-laden messaging app, Arattai is definitely a try.