Swadeshi messaging app Arattai's magic: users grew 100-fold in 3 days, becoming number 1 on the App Store..

Arattai Messenger: India's indigenous messaging app, Arattai Messenger, has become a sensation. The company says the app has seen a 100-fold increase in user traffic in just three days. Daily sign-ups have increased from 3,000 to 3.5 lakh in three days. This app, developed by Zoho, has now reached the number one position on the App Store and is being considered a new alternative to WhatsApp.

100-fold increase in users in 3 days
Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu reported on the app's 100-fold increase in traffic on the social media platform X. He wrote, "We have seen a 100-fold increase in traffic on Arattai in just 3 days (with new sign-ups increasing from 3,000 per day to 3.5 lakh per day). We are adding more infrastructure on an emergency basis to handle a potential 100x peak surge in the future. This is the effect of exponential growth."

He said, "As we add more infrastructure, we're also fine-tuning and updating the code to quickly address any issues that arise. Our entire team is working tirelessly. Originally, we had planned a major release in November, including many new features, increased capabilities, and a major marketing campaign. But the sudden growth has accelerated everything. We have a lot planned for Arattai. Please give us some time."

What is the Arattai app?

The Arattai app is a messaging app designed to compete with WhatsApp. Arattai means casual chat in Tamil. The app was launched by Zoho Corporation in 2021. Initially introduced as a small project, it has now become mainstream. It offers features such as chatting, voice notes, image and video sharing, group chats, and broadcast channels. Its specialty is that it is spyware-free and made in India.

Features of Arattai
The Arattai app offers almost all the basic features found in global messaging apps like WhatsApp. It includes text, media, and file sharing, audio and video calling with encryption, multi-device support, and even Android TV integration. Most importantly, Zoho has made it clear that it will not use user data for monetization. This privacy-first approach is attracting users the most.

Why the sudden surge in popularity?
The Arattai app's popularity skyrocketed when Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged people to adopt indigenous digital solutions. Following this, word of Arattai spread rapidly on social media, and users began calling it a WhatsApp killer. According to Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu, traffic increased 100-fold in three days, and the company is increasing server capacity on an emergency basis.

Rapidly Growing Users and Challenges
This rapid user growth has put a strain on Arattai's server capacity. Some users have reported issues like OTP delays, contact syncing, and call failures. Zoho says the servers will stabilize in the coming days. The company had originally planned a major update and launch in November, but this sudden surge forced them to work at full speed earlier.

Will Arattai be able to compete with WhatsApp?
With nearly 500 million users in India, WhatsApp is a vital part of everyday life and business. Therefore, it will be difficult for Arattai to surpass WhatsApp. Currently, Arattai's calls are encrypted, but end-to-end encryption in chats is not yet available. Until this feature is introduced, it will only remain a strong challenger, not a complete replacement.

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