Arattai

Last updated

Arattai
Developer Zoho Corporation
Initial releaseJanuary 2021;4 years ago (2021-01)
Stable release(s)
Android1.31.3 / October 5, 2025;24 days ago (2025-10-05)
iOS1.17.13 / September 22, 2025;37 days ago (2025-09-22)
Operating system
Type
Website www.arattai.in

Arattai Messenger (or simply Arattai) is an instant messaging application developed by Zoho Corporation. The name Arattai means "chat" or "conversation" in Tamil. The app was soft-launched in January 2021, soon after WhatsApp announced updates to its privacy policy. [1] The app saw a sharp surge in downloads in September 2025. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Although voice and video calls in the app are end-to-end encrypted, its plain text messages are not so as of now, unlike some other messaging platforms. [5]

History

Arattai was initially tested internally among Zoho employees before being released publicly in early 2021. [6] The launch coincided with a surge in interest for privacy-focused and messaging services, triggered by concerns over WhatsApp’s updated terms of service. [7]

In September 2025, Arattai experienced a major surge in adoption, with daily sign-ups reportedly increasing 100-fold, from around 3,000 to more than 350,000 in three days. [8] The growth temporarily strained Zoho’s infrastructure, prompting rapid scaling of servers and capacity expansion. [9] During the same period, the app reached the top position in Apple’s App Store charts for the "Social Networking" category in India. [10] It fell out of the top ranking soon after the hype died down. [11]

Reception

At launch, Arattai was positioned as a potential domestic rival to WhatsApp in India, but analysts noted that it faced challenges in competing with established platforms on encryption, ecosystem and network effect. [7] Critics pointed to occasional sync delays, [12] and that the plain text messages in the app are not end-to-end encrypted unlike other platforms such as WhatsApp. [13] The app similarly attracted controversy on social media over the same. [14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chandrashekhar, Anandi (12 January 2021). "Zoho positions its Arattai app as WhatsApp rival amid user exodus". The Economic Times. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  2. ↑ "We don't use AWS or Azure: Sridhar Vembu clears air on Arattai, Zoho's desi tech backbone". Business Today. India Today Group. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  3. ↑ "Zoho's Arattai messaging app tops app stores as downloads surge 100x". The Times of India. Times Internet. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  4. ↑ "Zoho's Arattai: How to install it and five features that stand out". The Indian Express. 5 October 2025. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  5. ↑ "Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu confirms 'testing end-to-end encryption this week on Arattai,': Here's when it could release for you". FE Tech Bytes. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  6. ↑ Hariharan, Sindhu (10 January 2021). "Homegrown tech firm Zoho develops messaging app Arattai". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  7. 1 2 Dash, Sanchita (11 January 2021). "Zoho plans to woo WhatsApp defectors with its own messaging app Arattai". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  8. ↑ "Arattai app explodes 100x in 3 days as sign-ups soar from 3,000 to 350,000 daily". India Today. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  9. ↑ "Zoho's Arattai app sees 100x user surge amid Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative". The Economic Times. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "Zoho's messaging app Arattai tops Apple App Store rankings after ministers lend it a boost". The Economic Times. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  11. ↑ Standard, Business (26 October 2025). "After a dream run, Zoho-run Arattai loses traction on app stores in India". Business Standard. Retrieved 29 October 2025.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  12. ↑ "Made-in-India Arattai tops App Store charts, overtakes WhatsApp". The Federal. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "Zoho's Arattai: How to install it and five features that stand out". The Indian Express. 5 October 2025. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  14. ↑ Raj, Astitva (10 October 2025). ""Trust Me, Bro": Zoho Founder Responds To Arattai Privacy Concerns Going Viral On X". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
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