Zoho’s homegrown messaging app, Arattai, has suddenly witnessed massive growth in user adoption. Within just three days, daily sign-ups skyrocketed from 3,000 to 350,000. This exponential surge was fueled by government endorsements, social media buzz, and Arattai’s positioning as a privacy-first messaging app that offers an alternative to global platforms like WhatsApp.
Zoho founder and chief scientist, Sridhar Vembu, revealed that Arattai experienced a dramatic rise in traffic. In his post on X, he explained:
“We have faced a 100x increase in Arattai traffic in three days, with new sign-ups shooting up from 3K/day to 350K/day. We are adding infrastructure on an emergency basis for another potential 100x peak surge. That’s how exponentials work.”
This surge highlights both the growing appetite for Made-in-India messaging platforms and the potential scalability challenges that Zoho is now working to address.
Interestingly, Zoho had originally scheduled a major release of Arattai in November, which was set to bring:
New features
Upgraded infrastructure
Expanded marketing campaigns
However, the sudden popularity has disrupted these plans, forcing the company to fast-track capacity upgrades. Vembu reassured users that more exciting updates are on the way, asking for patience during this unexpected growth phase.
Arattai was first launched in January 2021 under a beta “friends-and-family trial” program. Its debut came at a time when WhatsApp was facing criticism for its updated privacy policy, which allowed data-sharing with Facebook. Despite initial interest, Arattai struggled to sustain momentum in the crowded messaging app space.
For years, it remained overshadowed by global rivals, but its privacy-first branding laid the foundation for its current revival.
The app’s revival began last week after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan publicly endorsed Arattai. He encouraged Indian citizens to adopt the platform, emphasizing that it was homegrown, free to use, and simple.
Following this endorsement, downloads surged dramatically, propelling Arattai to the No. 1 position on both iOS and Android app stores in India. This marked a turning point in its journey, transforming it from a niche app into a mainstream alternative.
Social media played a major role in amplifying Arattai’s popularity. Thousands of posts, discussions, and memes centered around the app. Interestingly, many users also suggested a rebrand, since “Arattai” means “casual chat” in Tamil.
This cultural discussion further increased visibility, driving curiosity and downloads. However, the surge also exposed technical challenges.
With the unexpected traffic spike, Arattai users reported delays in OTP verification, slower contact sync, and occasional call disruptions. These issues stemmed from sudden server overloads.
In response, Zoho has been working in real time to:
Expand infrastructure
Fine-tune backend code
Roll out quick fixes to ensure smoother performance
Sridhar Vembu confirmed that the company is in “all hands on deck” mode to stabilize the platform.
One of Zoho’s core priorities with Arattai is ensuring accessibility across India’s diverse digital ecosystem. Vembu noted that the company deliberately took its time to release the app because it wanted to guarantee:
Compatibility with low-end smartphones
Optimized performance for low-bandwidth networks
Strong privacy and security features
This approach aligns with Zoho’s long-term vision of building sustainable, privacy-respecting alternatives to Big Tech platforms.
Conclusion
Arattai’s exponential growth signals a growing appetite for homegrown, secure, and user-friendly communication platforms. With government support, social media traction, and a strong privacy-first ethos, Zoho’s messaging app is well-positioned to challenge global rivals.
The real test now lies in how effectively Zoho can scale Arattai’s infrastructure to meet rising demand while continuing to innovate with new features. If successful, Arattai could become a defining player in India’s digital ecosystem.