Last Updated:September 29, 2025, 20:14 IST
Can India's Arattai displace WhatsApp as the undisputed leader in the world of messaging apps?

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swadeshi call, Zoho’s homegrown messaging app Arattai has seen a 100x surge in Arattai traffic in three days, with new sign-ups going vertical from 3,000 per day to 3,50,000 per day. (Image: Arattai)

"We have faced a 100x increase in Arattai traffic in 3 days (new sign-ups went vertical from 3K/day to 350K/day). We are adding infrastructure on an emergency basis for another potential 100x peak surge. That is how exponentials work. As we add a lot more infrastructure, we are also fine-tuning and updating the code to fix issues as they arise. We have all-hands-on-deck working flat out," Zoho’s Chief Scientist Sridhar Vembu said in a post on X. (Image: Arattai)

The name Arattai, which means “casual chat" in Tamil, reflects the app’s focus on simple, everyday communication. Users can send text messages, media, and documents, make voice and video calls, create stories and channels, and more. Businesses can also use Arattai to reach wider audiences through its content-sharing features. (Image: Arattai)

Built with privacy in mind, Arattai offers end-to-end encrypted calls to ensure secure communication. According to the developers, the app is part of Zoho’s larger mission to deliver reliable and safe Indian alternatives to global tech products. (Image: Canva)

Arattai was launched in January-2021 following American messaging app WhatsApp's changes to its privacy policy. (Image: Canva)

Zoho Corporation, the company behind Arattai, was founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas. Headquartered in Chennai, Zoho is known for its wide range of business applications, offering over 55 tools including email, accounting, HR, project management, CRM, and more. (Image: Instagram)

Zoho serves more than 130 million users in over 150 countries. Its global clients include major companies such as Amazon, Netflix, Deloitte, Puma, Toyota, Sony, and L’Oréal. The company operates under the slogan: “Made in India. Made for the world." (Image: Instagram)

This is not the first time we are seeing another WhatsApp challenger coming to the fore and trying what many others have done earlier had mostly failed to dislodge the undisputed leader. Can Arattai shake that barrier and get more people to connect? (Image: Canva)
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News Photogallery tech Arattai: All You Need To Know About The Made-In-India Messaging App