Zoho Corporation’s messaging app, Arattai, which launched with significant fanfare as a domestic alternative to WhatsApp, is now experiencing a steep fall in user engagement and ranking. After briefly claiming the No. 1 spot in the Google Play Store’s communication category in October 2025, Arattai has tumbled to the seventh position within a mere month. This swift decline points to challenges in retaining active users despite the initial enthusiasm fueled by national pride and calls for digital self-reliance.
Promising Start Meets Reality Check
Arattai was introduced as a privacy-first messaging app, featuring voice and video calls, and a commitment to “Made-in-India” innovation championed by Zoho’s CEO, Sridhar Vembu. The app attracted early users keen to reduce dependency on global tech giants, making it a symbol of India’s ambition to build indigenous digital tools.
However, recent reports highlight a significant decline in daily active users (DAU) and overall app engagement. With its drop from the top spot on the Play Store to seventh position, it appears many early adopters did not find sufficient value to sustain long-term usage. Industry observers point out issues such as limited unique features, usability concerns, and competition from entrenched players like WhatsApp and Signal as contributing factors to this downtrend.
Competition and User Expectations
The messaging app space in India is highly competitive, dominated by giants with massive user bases and continually evolving features. While Arattai holds appeal on privacy and local control, it faces steep challenges in matching the extensive ecosystems and integrations offered by WhatsApp, which includes payments, business chats, and deep social integration. Reports suggest users expect seamless cross-platform experiences and robust social networks—criteria where Arattai is yet to fully deliver.
Rise of Arattai
Ministers like Ashwini Vaishnaw and Dharmendra Pradhan also publicly endorsed the app, amplifying interest and trust among Indian users. These endorsements triggered a rapid increase in daily sign-ups—from around 3,000 to over 350,000 within a few days—leading to a 100-fold spike in peak traffic on the platform. The app even topped the Apple App Store’s “Social Networking” category in India, riding the wave of national pride and digital self-reliance advocacy.
Read this: Zoho Launches Arattai App — A Made-in-India Version of WhatsApp. But Can It Really Compete?
Read this: Anand Mahindra Joins Arattai, Says ‘We’re Cheering for You, Sridhar Vembu’
Company Response and Future Outlook
Zoho remains committed to enhancing Arattai’s capabilities and refining the user experience. Given the company’s track record in enterprise software, there is a measured optimism about Arattai evolving into a competitive communication platform with continuous updates and responsiveness to user feedback. The initial surge testified to the Indian market’s appetite for homegrown innovation, even if retention poses a greater challenge.
