Arattai, Zoho Corporation’s homegrown instant messaging app has witnessed a dramatic rise in users following endorsements from senior Union ministers. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently urged citizens to adopt the “swadeshi” platform, describing it as secure and easy to use. His promotion came soon after IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the government’s reliance on Zoho’s productivity tools in official work. The push has translated into an unprecedented surge in sign-ups. According to Zoho’s co-founder and chief scientist Sridhar Vembu, new registrations rose 100-fold in just three days, climbing from about 3,000 a day to nearly 3,50,000.
Zoho responds to scaling challenge
Vembu said the team is adding infrastructure “on an emergency basis” to handle demand and is preparing for a potential repeat of such spikes. “We had planned on a big release by November, with the features users expect, a huge capacity addition and a marketing push. And then it suddenly went vertical,” he said on X, adding that engineers were working round the clock to address glitches. The Chennai-based firm confirmed that stability issues such as OTP delays and call drops are being ironed out. Vembu assured that end-to-end encryption for messages, already in testing, will be rolled out in upcoming updates.
What the app offers
Arattai – meaning ‘chat’ in Tamil, was quietly launched in 2021. The cross-platform app allows users to exchange messages, share photos and videos, send voice notes, transfer documents and make audio or video calls. Stories and broadcast channels are also supported, mirroring popular features in rival apps. The platform is currently available on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux. While calls are end-to-end encrypted, full encryption for chats is still under development. Zoho has pledged that user data will not be monetised, pitching Arattai as a privacy-friendly alternative.
Can Arattai challenge WhatsApp?
WhatsApp remains India’s dominant messaging platform, with more than 500 million active users. Analysts say Arattai’s surge shows growing appetite for homegrown apps but caution that it cannot yet match WhatsApp’s scale or integration into daily life. The absence of full message encryption and the platform’s limited ecosystem are seen as key gaps. However, Arattai’s rapid uptake, swadeshi branding and Zoho’s pledge on data privacy could help it secure a foothold among users looking for an Indian alternative. Vembu said the company is “all hands on deck” to stabilise performance and deliver new features.
