Zoho’s messaging app Arattai has topped India’s app charts, overtaking global heavyweights like WhatsApp, ChatGPT, and Google Gemini. The surge follows a wave of endorsements from senior Union ministers, including Ashwini Vaishnaw, Piyush Goyal, and Dharmendra Pradhan, who recently joined the platform, positioning it as a ‘Made in India’ alternative aligned with the government’s Swadeshi tech push.
Launched in 2021, Arattai (Tamil for ‘casual chat’) witnessed explosive growth last week, rising from 3,000 users to over 3.5 lakh downloads within days. According to media reports, the app climbed from #117 on September 27 to #1 by October 2, maintaining the top spot across both iOS and Android through the week. Data from Sensor Tower suggests a 185x jump in downloads and a 40x surge in daily active users within a single week.
Built by Zoho Corp, one of India’s largest SaaS firms, Arattai offers end-to-end encryption, supports 20+ languages, and allows file sharing up to 2GB and group chats of up to 1,000 users. A unique Android TV app and its ad-free, privacy-first promise have further boosted its appeal among early adopters.
As Meta offers an interconnected suite of platforms, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, its ecosystem has become deeply woven into people’s daily lives. From messaging and social sharing to content consumption and commerce, Meta has built a digital universe that users rarely step out of. In such a tightly integrated environment, the question arises: can Arattai truly break through this dominance?
Prashant Puri, CEO and Co-founder, AdLift, believes that the “‘Made-in-India’ positioning has struck a strong emotional chord, further amplified by government voices advocating its adoption.”
He adds, “The app’s emphasis on privacy and its lightweight design optimised for slower networks can enhance its appeal beyond metro markets.” However, he notes, “The early momentum appears to be driven more by sentiment than by sustained user behaviour.”
Dr. Kushal Sanghvi, Chief Revenue Officer, iCubesWire, says the comparison with Koo (the Indian made counterpart to X) is quite apt. “I’ve been following Koo closely and even know the founding team. They started well, differentiating themselves, offering contextual and relevant content, and gaining solid traction. But like many Indian tech companies, they eventually ran out of funds. It wasn’t a lack of ambition to scale like Twitter, but rather a lack of financial muscle that led to their early decline.”
Sanghvi adds that “In contrast, Zoho is a large, financially robust organisation, one of India’s most successful SaaS companies. Arattai, as a new venture under its umbrella, is naturally attracting attention and early fandom.”
As Meta offers an interconnected suite of platforms, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, its ecosystem has become deeply woven into people’s daily lives. From messaging and social sharing to content consumption and commerce, Meta has built a digital universe that users rarely step out of. In such a tightly integrated environment, the question arises: can Arattai truly break through this dominance?
Harish Bijoor, Founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc., says that “Competing with a giant like WhatsApp requires more than just features, such as no data sharing or a lightweight design. While many users may experiment with Arattai, they will continue using WhatsApp, making the real challenge for Zoho is converting these casual users into loyalists who eventually shift their entire contact base to Arattai.”
He adds that “Arattai also needs a campaign emphasizing its ‘more Indian’ and ‘more local’ identity. While the name naturally resonates with Tamil-speaking users in India and the global Tamil diaspora, it may feel unfamiliar to others. The brand, therefore, must communicate its Indianness in a broader, relatable way to appeal to a wider audience.”
Experts also believe that there is a huge opportunity for Arattai if it integrates with UPI and ONDC, so that people can make payments and shop directly within the app.
India has faced several setbacks in creating homegrown alternatives to global platforms, from Koo versus Twitter to Fearless versus PUBG. Arattai's path to winning users won’t be easy. While patriotism has given it an initial boost, the app must offer something distinct from WhatsApp. Its brand identity, experts say, should not be framed as a competitor to WhatsApp, but as Arattai itself a homegrown messaging app built on privacy and trust.
