Zoho’s Arattai Messaging App Surges in India, Promises Privacy and Openness

Zoho’s home-grown messaging app, Arattai, is making waves in India, witnessing a surge in daily sign-ups with around a 100x growth in just three days. The sudden spike has brought the app into the spotlight, with social media abuzz and the government endorsing its rise. While some have dubbed it a “WhatsApp killer,” Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu emphasizes that the company is not pursuing monopoly power like some global rivals.

Speaking about the app’s vision on X (formerly Twitter), Vembu highlighted that Arattai is built on principles of openness, interoperability, and user trust. “These systems need to be interoperable like UPI and email, and not closed like WhatsApp today. We do not want to be a monopoly ever,” he wrote. He also revealed that Zoho has initiated discussions with iSpirt, the think tank behind UPI, to standardize and publish messaging protocols.

Vembu explained that Zoho aims to develop Arattai beyond a conventional chat app. The company envisions a messaging ecosystem operating across platforms, similar to email or UPI payments, enabling users to communicate freely without being locked into a single provider.

Emphasizing privacy and local development, Vembu addressed concerns regarding user data storage and product development. “Indian customer data is hosted in India. We are proudly ‘Made in India, Made for the World’ and we mean it,” he said, underlining that all Zoho products, including Arattai, are built at its Chennai headquarters.

Unlike many global platforms, Zoho operates its services on proprietary hardware and open-source software frameworks, deliberately avoiding cloud providers like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. User data for Arattai is hosted across multiple Indian data centers in Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai, with plans for expansion to Odisha.

Arattai, meaning “casual chat” in Tamil, quietly launched in 2021 but has recently gained traction as interest in home-grown digital alternatives grows. The app offers standard features such as group chats, voice and video calls, broadcast channels, and ephemeral stories. Its distinguishing factor, however, lies in its commitment to data privacy and freedom from intrusive monetization models.

The platform’s rise comes at a time when Meta’s WhatsApp dominates India with over 500 million users, but faces ongoing scrutiny for its data-sharing practices and integration into the broader Meta ecosystem. With Arattai promising transparency, independence, and trust, it is emerging as a secure alternative for Indian users seeking a messaging platform that is truly made in India.

As Arattai continues its rapid growth, Zoho’s vision of openness, interoperability, and privacy-focused design positions it as a compelling home-grown challenger in the Indian messaging space.