Zoho’s Arattai App Surges 100x, Tops India’s App Store
Zoho’s messaging Arattai app has suddenly shaken the Indian tech industry with an unprecedented surge in popularity. In just three days, the app has captured national attention. Where it earlier averaged around 3,000 daily signups, the figure has now skyrocketed to 3.5 lakh—a nearly 100-fold jump. This extraordinary traffic has propelled Arattai to the top spot in App Store’s social networking category in India, surpassing even giants like WhatsApp.
Why the buzz around Zoho and Arattai?
Arattai has suddenly become a household name. Initially introduced by Zoho in 2021 for testing, it is now rapidly gaining ground as a “Made in India” product. Its rise is driven by multiple factors—a privacy-first policy, locally built infrastructure, and trusted technology. Zoho’s founder Sridhar Vembu has openly admitted that if Zoho were a publicly listed company, such an initiative might never have seen the light of day.
In his words, “If we were a public company, the quarterly pressure would have never allowed a so-called ‘frivolous’ idea like Arattai to even exist. But our approach has always been research-driven and focused on long-term innovation.” He compared this vision to that of ISRO, which works on large missions and long-term goals without worrying about immediate profits.
The 100-fold surge in numbers
This unexpected boom has taken even Zoho’s team by surprise.
- Earlier, the app witnessed around 3,000 signups daily, but the figure has now touched 3.5 lakh.
- In just three days, traffic saw a 100-fold rise.
- This sudden volume has forced Zoho to massively expand its server capacity and technical infrastructure.
The team is now working round the clock to fix OTP delivery delays, chat syncing issues, and system errors arising from the surge. While it is a challenging phase for Zoho, the company believes that timely infrastructure upgrades can turn this challenge into an opportunity.
Rising before the marketing campaign
Interestingly, Zoho had planned a large-scale marketing campaign and new feature rollout for Arattai starting in November. But this unexpected user response arrived even before the strategy was launched. As a result, the company has been forced to make major adjustments to its plans and timelines.
Key highlights of Arattai
Arattai is not just another chat app—it has been designed with India’s diverse market in mind.
- Made in India branding: Local development and data security are at its core.
- Privacy-first vision: The company has committed that user data will never be monetised.
- Feature-rich: Includes chat, calls, voice notes, media sharing, and Android TV support.
- Security: Calls are already end-to-end encrypted, while chat encryption is coming soon.
- Optimisation: Works smoothly on low-bandwidth and low-end devices, making it accessible even in rural areas and smaller towns.
Strong focus on rural India
Millions of people in India still depend on low-bandwidth networks and basic smartphones. Most international apps are designed for high-end networks and premium devices. This is where Arattai stands out. Zoho has ensured that the app functions well even on limited data speeds and low-spec hardware. This has made it particularly popular in villages and smaller towns.
Zoho’s long-term vision
Sridhar Vembu has also made it clear that Zoho will never chase short-term profit. The company’s focus is on projects that will stand the test of time. These include:
- Chip design
- Operating systems
- Artificial intelligence
- Security and privacy-driven innovation
It is this vision that has given rise to projects like Arattai. Zoho firmly believes that true innovation is only possible when companies take risks and experiment beyond profit concerns.
Battling technical challenges
Rapid growth always brings technical hurdles. Zoho’s team is currently working to address them—delays in OTP delivery, server load-related syncing problems, and more. The company has announced that in the coming weeks, users will see new server support, a scalable backend infrastructure, and enhanced security features.
A new chapter in India’s digital journey
The call for digital self-reliance in India is growing stronger. In line with the spirit of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”, platforms like Arattai are now challenging the dominance of global messaging apps. While WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal have long been the primary choices, Arattai is winning users’ trust through its promise of privacy and local reliability.
The excitement among users clearly shows that India is not just a consumer of technology but is capable of creating new alternatives and challenging the global stage.
The road ahead
Zoho has clarified that Arattai is only the beginning. The company plans to introduce more improvements and features soon, including:
- Scalable servers and stronger infrastructure
- Multi-device support
- Advanced security layers
- Wider international expansion
Conclusion
Arattai’s sudden growth has proved that Indian users are ready to embrace homegrown apps—provided they are secure, trustworthy, and easy to use. Zoho’s product today represents much more than just a messaging app—it has become a symbol of India’s digital independence.
The challenges of rapid growth remain, but Zoho’s team is working tirelessly to overcome them. If the current momentum continues, Arattai could soon emerge as a true competitor to global giants like WhatsApp, not just in India but worldwide.
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