Arattai sees 3,000 to 350,000 sign-ups a day— Could Zoho’s messaging platform be India’s WhatsApp rival?

Arattai, the homegrown messaging app built by Chennai-based Zoho Corporation, is experiencing a meteoric rise, positioning itself as India’s strongest challenger to WhatsApp.

Massive growth in just days

The app’s daily sign-ups have soared from 3,000 to 350,000 within only three days, a staggering 100-fold increase. Zoho’s Chief Scientist and co-founder, Sridhar Vembu, disclosed that teams are working round the clock to scale infrastructure and resolve technical issues triggered by the sudden spike. “We are adding infrastructure on an emergency basis for another potential 100x peak surge. That is how exponentials work,” he wrote on X, noting that the growth came months ahead of a planned November rollout of new features and marketing campaigns.

What Arattai offers

The name Arattai, meaning “casual chat” in Tamil, reflects the app’s mission of simple, everyday communication. It provides features familiar to messaging users, including text, image, video and document sharing, voice and video calls, and stories. Businesses can also use channels to connect with audiences, broadening the platform’s appeal beyond personal use. Privacy is central to its design, with end-to-end encrypted calls ensuring secure conversations.

Government support and industry praise

Arattai’s sudden rise has drawn political attention. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged citizens to try the app, describing it as “free, easy-to-use, secure, and safe,” while tying his endorsement to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swadeshi push for indigenous innovation. His backing positions Arattai as more than just another messaging tool, it is being seen as part of a national digital movement.

The app’s momentum has also been recognised within the tech sector. Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas congratulated Zoho on what he called a “very successful launch.”

A homegrown contender

With rapid adoption, a strong privacy focus, and vocal government support, Arattai is quickly emerging as a serious alternative to global players. Its growth signals that the country may have its own answer to WhatsApp.