Arattai: India's Bold WhatsApp Challenger Backed by Zoho Power

India loves its apps, but global giants like WhatsApp have ruled the chat scene. Enter Arattai, a new player making waves. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently gave it a shout-out, urging people to try India-made apps. This push for self-reliant tech, part of Atmanirbhar Bharat, has Arattai topping app store charts.

The app’s rise is no fluke. It comes from Zoho, a Chennai-based tech powerhouse. Unlike past local apps like Hike or Koo, which struggled to compete, Arattai has serious backing. Zoho’s track record of building global software gives it an edge. But can it really take on WhatsApp?

What Is Arattai?

Arattai is the latest instant-messaging app that aims to serve the Indian vernacular audience. The word “Arattai” means “casual talk” or “chit-chat” in Tamil — perfectly reflecting its purpose. The WhatsApp rival offers nearly all the features of a modern messenger, allowing users to share texts, photos, and videos, make audio and video calls, and post stories that disappear after 24 hours.

Developed by Zoho, a Chennai-based enterprise software company known for its cloud-based tools, Arattai benefits from the solid foundation of its parent firm. Zoho’s portfolio includes popular platforms like Zoho Office Suite (an alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace) and Zoho CRM (a customer relationship management platform).

Founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas, Zoho has remained bootstrapped, never raising any outside venture capital funding. In 2024, Zoho’s valuation was estimated at around INR 1,03,760 crore, a 58% increase from its previous valuation of INR 65,700 crore, making it the second-largest bootstrapped company in India after Serum Institute of India (INR 2,11,610 crore) (source). This highlights Zoho’s potential and its ability to compete with even the largest public competitors.

Five Features That Make Arattai Unique

1) Meetings
Arattai’s Meetings feature delivers a smooth video conferencing experience that rivals Zoom and Google Meet, offering more versatility than WhatsApp’s video calls. Accessible directly from the bottom dock, users can instantly start or join meetings, or schedule them for later. The feature also keeps track of all your past and upcoming meetings in one place.

2) Pocket
The Pocket section acts as your personal vault within Arattai. It lets you securely save notes, images, videos, and reminders, separate from regular chats. Comparable to WhatsApp’s “Chat with Yourself,” this private space is protected with end-to-end encryption, ensuring your personal content stays organised and confidential.

3) No AI Integration
While most major platforms like Meta are integrating AI into their messaging apps, Arattai takes a different route — no AI tools or automated interactions. This choice keeps the app lightweight, privacy-focused, and free from algorithmic clutter or unsolicited suggestions.

4) No Advertisements
One of Arattai’s biggest strengths is its ad-free experience. The platform guarantees that user data won’t be used for commercial purposes and is securely stored in Indian data centres. Although text messages aren’t end-to-end encrypted, voice and video calls are fully protected.

5) Mentions
Arattai’s Mentions feature enhances group chat navigation by gathering all messages where you’ve been tagged, much like Slack. This helps users quickly find important messages and stay on top of discussions without scrolling endlessly through chats.

Privacy and Challenges

Privacy is a big focus. Voice and video calls are end-to-end encrypted, keeping them secure.

Some of the privacy features I particularly like include the ability to prevent screenshots of any story I post, keeping my content more secure and private.

The app’s popularity caused some hiccups. Early users faced slow sign-ups due to server overload. Zoho’s scaling up to handle the surge, which hit 350,000 daily sign-ups in just three days. That’s a 100X jump from its quiet start.

India’s seen local apps come and go. Koo challenged Twitter, and Moj took on TikTok, but few lasted. Arattai’s different because of Zoho’s deep roots. Tech experts like Vivek Wadhwa call it a “WhatsApp killer” for its polish and privacy focus.

The government’s push for local tech adds fuel. Arattai fits India’s need for apps that get the culture. It’s not just about features; it’s about trust and pride in something homegrown.

Arattai’s off to a strong start, but it’s not perfect. Text encryption is a must to compete with WhatsApp. Still, its low-data use and smooth performance make it appealing. Whether you’re in a city or a village, it’s built to connect.