Arattai – India’s Own WhatsApp Alternative Built by Zoho
A new messaging app is going viral in India, adding a massive 3.5 lakh users a day. Built by Zoho, Arattai — which literally means “chat” in Tamil — is being called India’s alternative to WhatsApp and is already number one on the App Store.
Once you try the app, you’ll see why it’s trending. The UI feels clean, fast, and lightweight with simple tabs that make navigation effortless. One for stories, another for meetings (where you can create, join, and schedule), followed by chats and calls. The call quality is excellent and end-to-end encrypted, with dozens of small but thoughtful features across the app.
Arattai — India’s fast-growing WhatsApp alternative built by Zoho.
However, there’s one thing sparking criticism — the texts are not yet end-to-end encrypted. This means messages are currently stored in plain text on Zoho’s servers, raising privacy concerns.
The good news? Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu has confirmed that end-to-end encryption is in the testing phase and will roll out by November. Once this update goes live, Arattai could easily become India’s first fully indigenous WhatsApp competitor — with millions already switching over.
But here’s the real challenge — not design or features, but the network effect. WhatsApp dominates not because it’s the best app, but because everyone’s already on it. For India to truly own its communications infrastructure, Arattai must overcome human habit itself.
0 Comments