Within a few days, the indigenous application Arattai has climbed to the top spot in the Social Networking category on the App Store. Developed by Zoho Corporation, the application is now being promoted as India’s own messaging solution. Zoho originally launched Arattai in January 2021, shortly after WhatsApp announced changes to its privacy policy.
Last week, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged users to switch to Arattai and highlighted several of its benefits – including being free, easy to use, secure, safe, and Made in India. The push to transition to an indigenous messaging app is part of a broader movement toward embracing Swadeshi and local platforms.
We’re officially #1 in Social Networking on the App Store!
— Arattai (@Arattai) September 27, 2025
Big thanks to every single Arattai user for making this possible. 💛#StayConnected #Arattai pic.twitter.com/gqxPW108Nq
Arattai, which means “casual chat” in Tamil, offers a range of features similar to WhatsApp:
- Sending text and voice messages
- Making voice and video calls
- Sharing photos, videos, and documents
- Stories, groups, and channels
- Multi-device support across smartphones, tablets, and desktops
Arattai also allows users to import conversations from other chat platforms. To build user trust, the app offers end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the sender and receiver can access the content -effectively preventing interception or interference by third parties.
How to Download
On iOS and Android:
To download Arattai, visit the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. The app is accessible to everyone and can be used simply by registering with a mobile number.
Arattai Sees 100x Surge in Traffic
We have faced a 100x increase in Arattai traffic in 3 days (new sign-ups went vertical from 3K/day to 350K/day). We are adding infrastructure on an emergency basis for another potential 100x peak surge. That is how exponentials work.
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) September 28, 2025
As we add a lot more infrastructure, we are…
Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu stated on Monday that the platform has seen a 100-fold increase in traffic within just three days. Daily new sign-ups have surged from 3,000 to 350,000.
Over the years, users have relied on international applications like Facebook, WhatsApp, and X for communication and sharing. However, with a new indigenous application now up and running, this might be the right time to shift to a homegrown platform developed by the nation’s own talent.
Also Read: Arattai Vs WhatsApp: Can India’s Homegrown App Take on the Meta’s Messaging App?
