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Zoho’s Arattai: Can India’s homegrown messaging app rival WhatsApp?

Beyond simplifying communication, Arattai prioritises privacy and security, ensuring user data remains confidential.

Arattai currently does not offer the same level of security for texts as WhatsApp. (Image: Arattai)

Arattai may or may not become a globally positioned or adopted app, but its journey will surely offer lessons for all those who aspire to build-in-India-for-the-world technology products (Image: Arattai)

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is promoting Arattai, an India-based messaging platform accessible via the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The minister urged citizens to adopt homegrown apps like Arattai to stay connected, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to support Swadeshi, or indigenous, products. In a post on X, Pradhan described Arattai as “secure, user-friendly, and completely free,” highlighting that it is entirely developed in India.

What is Arattai?

The Tamil word “Arattai” translates to “casual conversation” or “chat,” reflecting the app’s purpose. Zoho’s platform focuses on ease of communication while prioritising security and privacy, promising that user information will not be shared with third parties.

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Key features include document and image sharing, voice and text messaging, audio and video calls, group chats with up to 1,000 participants, and dedicated channels. Positioned as a homegrown alternative to global messaging apps, Arattai aims to offer a secure and comprehensive communication experience.

Can Arattai take over WhatsApp’s domain?

Arattai uses end-to-end encryption for calls, ensuring that only the sender and receiver can access the content. Messages, however, are not fully encrypted, a limitation that could concern privacy-conscious users. This means Arattai currently does not offer the same level of security for texts as WhatsApp. The promotion of Arattai aligns with the government’s broader push to encourage indigenous technology, foster local innovation, and reduce dependence on multinational tech giants.

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