Zoho’s messaging platform Arattai has stormed into national prominence, with endorsements from business titan Anand Mahindra and major government officials driving a viral surge in downloads. The domino effect began when Arattai’s official account welcomed Mahindra on X, expressing gratitude for his support. Mahindra responded, “I wish you great success,” prompting Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu to share his appreciation and recount the excitement among his engineering team in Tenkasi upon seeing Mahindra’s public encouragement.
Closing the loop, Mahindra tweeted back, “We’re cheering for you, Sridhar Vembu”—an exchange that inspired thousands of users to join India’s homegrown answer to WhatsApp.
We’re cheering for you, @svembu https://t.co/41pMr8y1mD
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) October 4, 2025
I was in a meeting in our Tenkasi office with our Arattai engineers, working out refinements to the app and a team member showed this tweet.
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) October 4, 2025
Thank you @anandmahindra
this gives us even more determination 🙏 https://t.co/5MtyhTkRZf
Endorsements: From Anand Mahindra to the Government
The buzz isn’t limited to the private sector. India’s Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan publicly lauded Arattai as a “free, easy-to-use, secure, and safe” app, calling it a true ‘Made in India’ digital solution and urging the nation to embrace homegrown platforms under the government’s Swadeshi initiative. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal echoed the sentiment, describing Arattai as a “Swadeshi product that brings India closer” and highlighting that he and his entire team had adopted it.
These endorsements triggered a massive viral surge—daily signups for Arattai jumped 100-fold from 3,000 to an astonishing 350,000 per day, rocketing it to the top of iOS and Android app stores across the country.
Read this: Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Moves to Zoho, Urges Indians to Adopt Swadeshi Products for a Self-Reliant India
Why Zoho’s Arattai Is Gaining Popularity
Zoho’s Arattai app, originally launched in 2021, has caught fire thanks to a blend of influencer support and real technological advantages tailor-made for Indian users:
- Privacy-First, Ad-Free Design: Zoho pledges not to monetize personal user data. All Indian users’ data is hosted locally, addressing concerns about privacy and digital sovereignty that have plagued global competitors like WhatsApp.
- Feature-Rich but Lightweight: Arattai supports personal and group chats, rich media sharing, audio/video calls, multi-device compatibility (including desktop and Android TV), and admin/owner controls for large groups—all optimized for low-bandwidth environments and affordable smartphones.
- Stories and Channels: Users can broadcast updates in ways familiar to WhatsApp and Telegram power users, making the switch easy and convenient.
- User Empowerment: Its commitment to simple, secure communication enables adoption not just by urban professionals but by millions in rural and semi-urban India where data and device constraints are real.
Zoho’s Broader Product Push
Arattai’s success is part of Zoho’s wider momentum in 2025:
- New App Launches and AI Integration: Zoho has recently introduced tools for AI-powered brainstorming, mind mapping, advanced CRM automation, multilingual collaboration, and business intelligence, all integrated with Zoho’s cloud ecosystem.
- Global Recognition: Zoho’s lineup now encompasses over 50 apps spanning CRM, HR, finance, and workplace collaboration—solidifying its position as India’s most comprehensive SaaS provider.
- Market Fit: Their approach to building for “middle India” with a focus on affordability, privacy, and seamless integration has helped Zoho expand to more than 100 million users worldwide.
Competitive Edge and Market Context
Competing against giants like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal, Arattai’s top advantages are privacy (no spyware, all-India hosting), Indian language support, and low-resource optimization—qualities global apps often overlook. Its grassroots surge has been supercharged by endorsement from both the country’s top industrialists and central ministers, blending “Swadeshi” sentiment with a genuinely effective tech stack.
In summary: Arattai’s rise blends a story of national pride, savvy product design, and the power of celebrated endorsements. As major business leaders and government voices champion Zoho’s vision, Arattai stands out not just as India’s alternative to WhatsApp, but as a symbol of the country’s growing ambition to lead in secure, user-focused, and truly local digital platforms.
