Arratai, the instant messaging app made by Zoho, is giving stiff competition to WhatsApp. The Made In India alternative to WhatsApp is at number one position in social networking category on App stores. Zoho CEO posted on ‘X’ saying that Arattai traffic has increased 100X in 3 days, therefore it is working hard to add infrastructure that can support this traffic.
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has also congratulated Zoho on the success of Arratai. The Perplexity CEO posted the congratulatory message on ‘X’ saying congratulations Zoho on the successful launch.
Arratai’s Rapid Growth!
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.
“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.
Features 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 monetising 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.
