Arattai, the homegrown messaging app from Chennai-based Zoho Corporation, has suddenly found itself in the spotlight. Within just three days, its daily sign-ups jumped from 3,000 to 350,000 – a hundredfold increase that few expected.
The timing has been interesting too, as the surge arrived well before the company’s planned November rollout of new features and promotions.
Zoho’s co-founder and chief scientist, Sridhar Vembu, admitted that the unexpected rush had pushed teams to work around the clock. In a note shared on X, he said infrastructure was being added “on an emergency basis” to prepare for another potential 100x spike. “That is how exponentials work,” he remarked, hinting at the uncertainty around how much further demand could grow.
The word Arattai translates to “casual chat” in Tamil – fitting for an app built for everyday communication. Its features are familiar to most messaging users: text, images, videos, documents, voice and video calls, and even stories. Businesses are also being offered a space through channels, widening the app’s use beyond just personal chats. Privacy has been highlighted as one of its key features, with end-to-end encrypted calls forming part of the package.
The app’s sudden rise has not gone unnoticed outside the tech space. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged citizens to try the app, calling it “free, easy-to-use, secure, and safe.” His endorsement linked Arattai to the government’s Swadeshi pitch, framing it as part of a larger conversation around indigenous digital platforms.
Beyond politics, the tech community has also been watching. Aravind Srinivas, chief executive of Perplexity AI, congratulated Zoho, describing the surge as a “very successful launch.” While some see this as a milestone moment, others note that it is still early days for Arattai. Whether it can maintain this momentum and stand as India’s answer to WhatsApp remains to be seen
