WhatsApp Faces Arattai In Next Fight

India's Digital Ambition: Can a Homegrown App Dethrone WhatsApp?

A wave of digital nationalism is sweeping across India, raising a critical question for the global technology landscape. Can a domestically developed messaging application realistically challenge the overwhelming dominance of WhatsApp? The answer may lie with Arattai, a homegrown service that has recently captivated the nation, becoming a symbol of India's technological aspirations and its quest for digital self-reliance. Its sudden ascent from relative obscurity poses a direct challenge to the status quo, forcing a conversation about data sovereignty, user privacy, and the power of national sentiment in the digital age.

The Viral Ascent

In recent weeks, the Indian technology firm Zoho watched its messaging application, Arattai, transform into a viral phenomenon. The firm reported an impressive seven million installations within a single seven-day period, a figure that starkly contrasts with its modest beginnings. Market intelligence from Sensor Tower showed that installations of Arattai were below 10,000 as recently as August, illustrating the explosive nature of its recent growth. This rapid adoption signals a significant shift in consumer behaviour, driven by a powerful combination of political encouragement and public enthusiasm for a homegrown alternative.

A Quiet Debut

Arattai, a name that translates to "banter" from the Tamil language, did not initially launch with such fanfare. It quietly debuted back in 2021, remaining largely under the radar for years. Originally developed as an internal communication tool for Zoho's employees, its public release was a quiet affair that failed to capture widespread attention. The app's recent surge in popularity is not just a story of delayed success but is deeply intertwined with a broader national movement. Observers connect its rise directly to a nationwide campaign for economic independence.

The 'Make in India' Catalyst

This governmental drive for self-sufficiency has become a powerful force in the country's technology sector. This initiative, often promoted under the "Make in India" banner, encourages domestic production and local consumption, a message that has gained urgency as India navigates the economic impact of high American import duties on its products. Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister, along with his cabinet members, has consistently promoted this idea recently, creating a fertile ground for homegrown applications like Arattai to flourish. The narrative of building and supporting local technology resonates deeply with a growing segment of the population.

Political Endorsements Fuel Growth

The application's sudden popularity received a significant boost from prominent political figures. Dharmendra Pradhan, a federal minister, took to the social media platform X, encouraging the public to adopt domestically created applications for communication. His public endorsement was followed by similar posts from numerous other government officials and influential business leaders, creating a snowball effect. This high-profile backing lent Arattai a level of credibility and visibility it had previously lacked. The technology firm acknowledges that the government's promotional efforts were a significant factor in the sharp rise of Arattai's adoption.

A Staggering Jump in Users

The impact of these endorsements was immediate and dramatic. Mani Vembu, Zoho's CEO, detailed the application's exponential growth, explaining that new registrations per day shot up from 3,000 to 350,000 within a mere three-day window. He also reported a hundredfold expansion in the app's active user base, a figure he stated continues to grow. Vembu believes this demonstrates a strong public appetite for a locally developed product capable of fulfilling their specific needs. The company later reported that the app had surpassed 7.5 million total downloads by early October 2025.

The Shadow of a Giant

Despite this impressive growth, Arattai remains a small player in a market dominated by a single giant. While Zoho has not released detailed figures on its monthly active users, industry analysts believe its user numbers are considerably smaller than the 500 million people in India who use the Meta-owned WhatsApp each month. The Meta-controlled platform commands its largest audience in India, with estimates for its user base ranging from over 500 million to approximately 535.8 million. This makes India a crucial territory for Meta and presents an almost insurmountable challenge for any newcomer.

An Indispensable Part of Life

In India, WhatsApp is more than just a messaging app; it is an integral part of daily existence. People employ it for diverse purposes, from distributing mass good morning messages to managing their commercial enterprises. Small and medium-sized enterprises rely on its features for customer communication, marketing, and sales. Its deep integration into the social and economic fabric of the country has created a powerful network effect, where the value of the service increases with the number of people using it.

Competing on Features

To compete, Arattai offers a comparable set of functionalities to its well-established rival. The service empowers individuals to exchange messages and conduct audio and video conversations, covering the basic requirements of modern communication. Both services provide a suite of tools for businesses. Furthermore, Arattai asserts, much like WhatsApp, that it is engineered to function well on less powerful devices and operates effectively even with weak internet connections, a crucial consideration in a country with diverse levels of digital infrastructure.

Positive Early Reception

Initial user feedback for Arattai has been largely positive. On social platforms, some users have indicated a liking for its user interface and aesthetic, while others found its ease of use on par with WhatsApp. A significant driver of this positive sentiment is national pride. A significant number of people also expressed pride in its Indian origins and urged others to install it. This patriotic appeal has been a key factor in its initial viral spread and adoption among early users eager to support a domestic alternative.

The Challenge of Retention

Arattai follows other local applications that aspired to challenge massive global competitors. Previously, Indian-developed services like Moj and Koo were presented as alternatives to TikTok and X, respectively, especially after the government prohibited the Chinese application in 2020. However, they failed to sustain their early momentum. Even ShareChat, which was once positioned as a major competitor to WhatsApp, has since scaled back its goals, highlighting the difficulty of long-term retention.

Breaking the Network Effect

Prasanto K Roy, a technology commentator and writer based in Delhi, believes Arattai faces a steep climb to penetrate the vast network of WhatsApp users. He points out that the Meta-controlled service already incorporates a substantial number of enterprises and government functions within its ecosystem. Roy says Arattai's longevity hinges on its ability to not only attract new people but also keep them engaged. This, he argues, cannot be sustained purely by feelings of national pride.

Quality Over Patriotism

Roy further notes that the product must be of high quality. Even with an excellent product, he thinks it is improbable that it could displace a service with billions of global users. The convenience of having everyone on a single platform creates a powerful inertia that is difficult to overcome. Users are often reluctant to switch to a new app if their friends, family, and business contacts are not there. For Arattai to succeed, it must offer a significantly better experience or a unique value proposition that is compelling enough to persuade entire social circles to make the switch.

The Privacy Question Mark

Beyond the challenge of user acquisition, some commentators have voiced apprehensions regarding the security of user information on Arattai. A key point of difference is its approach to encryption. The service provides end-to-end encryption, a security measure known as E2EE, for its video and voice calls. However, it does not yet apply this protection to text-based conversations. This leaves user conversations potentially vulnerable to interception, a significant drawback in an era of heightened awareness around digital privacy and surveillance.

A Commitment to Encryption

Arattai has stated that the company is in the process of implementing complete encryption for all text communications. Mani Vembu confirmed that E2EE is a top priority for the company and is currently under active development. Co-founder Sridhar Vembu further elaborated that the company was accelerating its schedule to implement the feature, which was originally planned for a later release. To enable this, the company is turning off the cloud storage functionality that was part of Arattai's predecessor, Zoho Cliq, to ensure messages are stored only on user devices.

The Government and Traceability

The issue of encryption is particularly sensitive in India, where the government is keen to create a system to trace the origin of messages for security reasons. Shashidhar KJ, the managing editor for MediaNama, an online publication covering technology policy in India, observes that achieving this becomes much simpler without full encryption. He states that this goal is "done easily without end-to-end encryption," but he cautions that this compromises the privacy of individuals. This creates a potential conflict between government objectives and the privacy rights of individuals.

A New Data Protection Landscape

This debate is unfolding within a new legal framework. In August 2023, India enacted the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act). This comprehensive law establishes a national framework for protecting personal data, outlining the rights of individuals (termed "data principals") and the obligations of companies that process data ("data fiduciaries"). The Act grants citizens rights such as the right to give and withdraw consent, access their data, and request correction or erasure, fundamentally reshaping the country's privacy landscape.

Rising Government Data Requests

Simultaneously, data shows a sharp increase in Indian government requests for user data from major technology companies. One report found that from 2013 to 2021, requests from Indian authorities increased by over 1,400%. More recent data from Meta revealed that in the second half of 2022, the Indian government made 63,852 requests for user data, second only to the United States. This trend highlights the growing pressure on technology platforms to share user information with law enforcement and government agencies.

The Resistance of Global Giants

Large international firms like X and Meta possess the resources and legal capacity to contest government directives or regulations they deem unjust. In a 2021 case, WhatsApp took legal action against India concerning new digital regulations for content moderation on social media and streaming services, arguing that the rules infringed upon its user privacy commitments. X has also initiated legal battles challenging the Indian government's authority to block or remove online material. This history of resistance sets a high bar for any domestic competitor.

Can a Homegrown App Stand Firm?

This raises a question among observers: would the Indian-created Arattai have the capacity to resist pressures from the government that might jeopardize the privacy rights of its users? Rahul Matthan, a lawyer who focuses on technology law, suggests that until the company offers greater transparency about Arattai's privacy framework and Zoho's policy on government requests for user content, many potential users might be reluctant to adopt the service. The perception of independence from government influence is critical for building user trust.

The Pressure to Comply

Roy concurs, suggesting it is plausible that Zoho might feel indebted to the administration, particularly given that cabinet ministers have been promoting the application. He also mentioned that an Indian startup might find it difficult to offer strong opposition when instructed to adhere to the nation's legal framework and requests from law enforcement. This potential pressure could place the company in a difficult bind, balancing its commitment to user privacy against the expectations of the government that helped propel it into the national spotlight.

Zoho's Pledge of Transparency

Responding to a question about how Arattai would handle such requests, Mani Vembu affirmed that the company is committed to ensuring its users maintain complete control of their data while simultaneously adhering to the nation's information technology laws. He promised the company would maintain full transparency with its audience about any legal requirements it must fulfill. Zoho has built its broader business model on a commitment to user privacy, famously avoiding an ad-based revenue model to prevent conflicts of interest over user data. Sridhar Vembu has explicitly stated that Arattai will never feature ads or sell user data.

An Uphill Battle Ahead

Historical experience shows that Indian-developed applications face significant hurdles, especially when competing with deeply entrenched services like Facebook and WhatsApp. The power of the network effect, combined with the deep integration of these platforms into everyday life, creates a formidable barrier to entry. Whether Arattai can achieve a breakthrough or will disappear like many before it is yet to be determined. Its future will depend on its ability to deliver a superior product, guarantee user privacy, and navigate a complex political and regulatory environment.