India’s homegrown messaging app Arattai has surged past prominent global rivals to claim the top spot in app store rankings. This is a milestone that highlights both its growing appeal and the pressure that comes with it. Originally launched in 2021 by Zoho, Arattai (the Tamil word for “chat” or “chit‑chat”) was until recently considered an experimental project. But in the current climate with rising concerns about data privacy, global surveillance, and “tech sovereignty”. Arattai’s positioning as a “spyware‑free, made‑in‑India” messenger has resonated with Indians.
The momentum gained traction when India’s Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, publicly urged citizens to favour local digital platforms, citing Arattai among the recommended apps. Simultaneously, high‑profile tech voices such as Vivek Wadhwa tried it out and praised its polish even calling it “India’s WhatsApp killer” in messaging feel.
Features, Ambitions, and Privacy Focus
Arattai adopts a familiar feature set: one‑to‑one and group chat, voice notes, media sharing, voice/video calls, stories, and channel broadcasting. It also supports multiple devices, including desktop and Android TV.
What differentiates it, to many users, is the promise of not monetizing personal data and a commitment to strong privacy. While many global platforms face criticism over user data usage, Zoho asserts that Arattai will remain lightly governed by user privacy principles.
That said, some protections are still a work in progress: end‑to‑end encryption currently applies to calls, but chat encryption is not yet fully implemented. Zoho says it is actively developing that feature.
Growing Pains: Infrastructure Under Strain
With its sudden rise, Arattai is facing challenges typical of overnight sensations. Zoho has acknowledged issues such as delayed OTPs, slower contact sync, and occasional lag during sign‑ups all due to the surge in server load. The company says it is “working hard to expand servers” and hopes to mitigate these glitches within a few days.
Can Arattai Dislodge WhatsApp?
While topping app charts is an impressive feat, retaining that momentum will be far harder. WhatsApp is deeply embedded in India’s digital life from personal chats to business communications — and has over 500 million users in the country. Arattai’s challenge lies in converting downloads to habitual usage, earning user trust over time, and closing feature gaps (especially encryption for chats).
If Zoho can scale reliably and follow through on its privacy promises, Arattai might sustain its place in the ecosystem. Otherwise, its charting success may become a brief burst of hype. For now, Zoho is enjoying its moment in the spotlight but the real test lies ahead: can it keep up, deliver on its promises, and survive beyond the initial wave of curiosity?
