TLDR: Zoho’s instant messaging app, Arattai, has experienced a remarkable surge in user sign-ups, jumping from 3,000 to 350,000 in just three days. This exponential growth has garnered attention, with Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas publicly congratulating Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu on the app’s success. The ‘Made in India’ app is addressing initial scaling challenges while aiming to compete with global messaging platforms.
Zoho Corporation’s homegrown instant messaging application, Arattai, has witnessed an unprecedented surge in its user base, recording a staggering 100-fold increase in traffic within a mere three days. Daily sign-ups for the app, whose name means ‘chat’ or ‘chit-chat’ in Tamil, skyrocketed from 3,000 to 350,000, positioning it as a significant contender in the Indian digital landscape. This rapid ascent has not gone unnoticed, drawing commendation from prominent figures in the tech industry.
Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, extended his congratulations to Zoho’s co-founder and CEO, Sridhar Vembu, on the app’s successful launch and impressive adoption. Vembu, in turn, acknowledged the continued exponential growth, stating that ‘Numbers doubled yet again!’ on a social media platform. He also revealed that the company had initially planned a major feature rollout and marketing push for November but the sudden surge in user traffic necessitated an emergency expansion of infrastructure to support a potential ‘100x peak surge’.
The app’s sudden popularity is attributed to several factors, including growing concerns about data privacy and ‘tech sovereignty’, which have resonated with Indian users. Arattai’s positioning as a ‘spyware-free, made-in-India’ messenger has been a key draw. The momentum was further amplified by public endorsements, notably from India’s Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, who urged citizens to favor local digital platforms and cited Arattai as a recommended application.
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Despite its swift success, Arattai is currently navigating challenges typical of rapid growth. Users have reported initial issues such as delayed OTPs, slower contact synchronization, and occasional lag during sign-ups, all stemming from the immense server load. Zoho has acknowledged these glitches and assured users that teams are working tirelessly to expand servers and fine-tune the code to mitigate these problems within a few days. The app offers standard messaging features including one-to-one and group chats with text, voice notes, and media sharing, as well as audio and video calls with end-to-end encryption. It also supports multi-device usage, including desktop and Android TV applications, and includes ‘Stories’ and ‘Channels’ for broadcasting updates. Zoho has emphasized its commitment to user privacy, stating that, unlike some global competitors, it does not monetize user data. While end-to-end encryption is currently active for calls, chat encryption is reportedly in development.
