Zoho Co-founder Sridhar Vembu’s comments assuring Indian users of data privacy come against the backdrop of Arattai’s massive success. The app’s daily sign-ups have soared from 3,000 to 350,000 within only three days, a staggering 100-fold increase. Zoho’s Chief Scientist and co-founder, Sridhar Vembu, disclosed that teams are working around the clock to scale infrastructure and resolve technical issues triggered by the sudden spike.
Vembu also stressed that Zoho does not rely on AWS, Azure, or GCP for hosting its services. “All our services run on hardware we own and software frameworks we developed, on top of open source like Linux OS and Postgres database. Arattai, specifically, is not hosted on AWS or Azure or GCloud,” he explained.
“We are proudly ‘Made in India, Made for the World’ and we mean it,” Vembu wrote. While to handle app traffic, he said, “We are adding infrastructure on an emergency basis for another potential 100x peak surge. That is how exponentials work,” he wrote on X, noting that the growth came months ahead of a planned November rollout of new features and marketing campaigns.
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.
Why the Sudden Surge?
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.
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.
