Arattai: India's 'Swadeshi' Messaging App Surges to #1 on App Store with 100x Traffic Growth

Arattai app has become available to all users across platforms.

Indian-developed messaging application Arattai has reached the number one position in the App Store's Social Networking category. Created by Chennai-based Zoho Corporation, this application is now being marketed as India's indigenous messaging solution. Zoho initially launched Arattai in January 2021, following WhatsApp's announcement of privacy policy modifications.

The company recently celebrated their achievement on social media, announcing: "We're officially #1 in Social Networking on the App Store! Big thanks to every single Arattai user for making this possible. #StayConnected #Arattai"

During the previous week, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan encouraged users to transition to Arattai, characterizing it as "free, easy-to-use, secure, safe, and made in India."

Minister Pradhan stated on platform X: "Arattai instant messaging app developed by Zoho is free, easy-to-use, secure, safe and made in India. Guided by Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji's call to adopt Swadeshi, I appeal to everyone to switch to India-made apps."

Arattai, which translates to "casual chat" in Tamil, offers similar functionality to WhatsApp, including text and voice messaging, voice and video calls, media and document sharing capabilities, stories, groups, and channels features, along with multi-device support across various devices (supporting up to five simultaneously).

The application also provides users with the ability to import conversations from alternative chat platforms.

Regarding security, while Arattai currently provides end-to-end encryption for calls, message content does not yet have identical protection. End-to-end encryption technology ensures that only intended senders and recipients can access communication content, preventing interception by third parties.

Arattai is accessible to all users and available for download on both Android (Google Play Store) and iOS (Apple App Store) platforms. Anyone can begin using it after registration with a mobile number.

The application is developed by Zoho Corporation, an established company in India's software industry. Founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas, this Chennai-headquartered organization provides over 55 business applications across various functions including email, CRM, HR, accounting, and project management. Currently, Zoho serves more than 130 million users across 150 countries, with global clients including Amazon, Netflix, Deloitte, Toyota, Sony, Puma, and L'Oreal.

Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu recently reported that the platform experienced a remarkable 100-fold increase in traffic within just three days, with daily new registrations increasing from 3,000 to 350,000.

Vembu stated on platform X: "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."

He further explained: "As we add more infrastructure, we are also fine-tuning and updating the code to fix issues as they arise. We have all-hands-on-deck working flat out."

Vembu additionally revealed that Zoho has scheduled a significant update featuring new capabilities and increased capacity for November.