Zoho Arattai’s Meteoric Rise and Unexpected Fall
Zoho Arattai, once hailed as India’s homegrown answer to WhatsApp, has witnessed a dramatic shift in fortune. After briefly dominating the download charts in October 2025, the messaging app has now slipped out of the top 100 apps in India, both on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Developed by Zoho Corporation under the leadership of founder Sridhar Vembu, Arattai initially captured public attention with its promise of privacy, simplicity, and “Made in India” credibility.
Launched quietly in 2021, Arattai—meaning “chit-chat” in Tamil—was designed to empower Indian users with a secure, self-reliant communication platform. It surged to fame after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s renewed push for Atmanirbhar Bharat apps, leading to a massive 100x rise in downloads. However, just weeks after topping the charts, Arattai’s momentum appears to be fading fast.
What Led to Arattai’s Initial Popularity?
The “Made in India” Advantage
Arattai gained immediate traction due to its local roots. In an ecosystem dominated by global giants like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal, an Indian-developed app from Zoho—a respected tech company with global credibility—was bound to attract attention. The “swadeshi” sentiment gave it a significant boost, as users sought alternatives to foreign platforms amid ongoing data privacy debates.
Simplicity and Privacy Appeal
Zoho marketed Arattai as a simple, privacy-focused messaging app built entirely in India. Founder Sridhar Vembu emphasized that the app “looks simple but hides 20 years of deep homegrown technology.” Its minimalistic design, fast performance, and lack of intrusive ads appealed to users tired of data-heavy platforms.
Moreover, Zoho’s strong reputation for privacy across its product suite created trust among first-time users. Arattai offered voice and video call encryption and claimed to store user data within India—an attractive feature for those concerned about global data sharing.
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A Viral Surge Backed by Media and Government Interest
By early October 2025, Arattai downloads skyrocketed. Daily installs jumped from around 3,000 to nearly 350,000, and the app briefly overtook Telegram and Snapchat in the “Social Networking” category. Reports suggested that many government departments were exploring Arattai for internal communication as part of the Atmanirbhar initiative.
But as history shows, in the fast-paced world of mobile apps, viral fame doesn’t always translate to long-term success.
Why Zoho Arattai Lost Steam
Declining Downloads and Active Users
By November 2025, reports indicated a steep decline in both downloads and engagement. According to data from Moneycontrol and the New Indian Express, monthly downloads fell from 13.8 million in October to less than 200,000 in early November. The app’s ranking slipped to around #105 on Google Play and #123 on Apple’s App Store in India.
While Arattai still maintains an active user base of around 4 million, the trend suggests waning enthusiasm. Many users returned to familiar apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal, which offer richer ecosystems and mature features.
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The Encryption Gap
One major concern that surfaced was the lack of full end-to-end encryption for text messages. While Arattai ensured encrypted voice and video calls, text chats were not yet fully secured by default. In an era where data security is paramount, this raised red flags among privacy advocates and tech reviewers.
Founder Sridhar Vembu acknowledged the gap and promised future updates to address it, but for many users, that reassurance came too late. Competing apps already had robust encryption and decades of trust backing their systems.
Network Effect and User Retention
Messaging apps thrive on network effects—users tend to stay where their contacts already are. Once the initial hype subsided, users who couldn’t convince their circles to migrate quickly lost interest. This challenge mirrors the experience of other Indian-made social apps that saw temporary spikes during nationalist tech movements but failed to maintain a lasting user base.
Limited Feature Parity
Compared to WhatsApp and Telegram, Arattai’s feature set remains basic. While its design is lightweight, it lacks advanced group management, large file sharing, channel broadcasting, and integrated payments—features that are now essential for modern communication apps.
Sridhar Vembu’s Vision and the Road Ahead
A Founder with a Mission
Sridhar Vembu, the visionary founder of Zoho, is no stranger to challenges. Known for his rural-first philosophy and emphasis on self-reliant technology, Vembu built Zoho into a global SaaS powerhouse competing with Google and Microsoft. Arattai, to him, represents not just a product but a statement—India can innovate world-class communication tools without foreign dependency.
Vembu has often stated that Arattai’s growth will be steady and value-driven rather than hype-based. He believes in organic adoption through trust, not aggressive marketing or paid promotions. This long-term vision could still help Arattai find a sustainable niche in specific communities or enterprises.
Focus on Stability and Expansion
Zoho has reportedly begun strengthening Arattai’s backend infrastructure to handle future surges and improve performance. Plans are underway to roll out full text encryption, enhance group calling, and introduce enterprise-friendly features.
Additionally, Arattai’s availability on Android TV—a unique offering even WhatsApp lacks—demonstrates Zoho’s innovative mindset. The company aims to integrate Arattai more closely with Zoho’s business suite, potentially turning it into a unified communication tool for corporate users.
The Bigger Picture: Lessons from Arattai’s Journey
Arattai’s story is a reminder that local innovation alone isn’t enough; consistent user engagement, robust security, and ecosystem depth are equally vital. Despite its current slump, Arattai has opened the door for future Indian-made communication apps to evolve beyond patriotic marketing.
For Sridhar Vembu and Zoho, the challenge lies in balancing privacy, scalability, and innovation while competing against billion-dollar global giants. Whether Arattai stages a comeback or becomes a stepping stone toward Zoho’s next big idea, its brief rise has already reshaped conversations about digital self-reliance in India.
Conclusion
The fall of Zoho Arattai from the top 100 charts highlights both the promise and pitfalls of homegrown technology. While its initial momentum showcased the power of local innovation, sustaining that growth requires continuous improvement, user trust, and long-term engagement.
As founder Sridhar Vembu continues to steer Zoho’s ambitious roadmap, Arattai’s journey—though turbulent—stands as a testament to India’s growing capacity to build, innovate, and compete on a global digital stage.
Disclaimer: The information above is compiled from publicly available sources such as Moneycontrol, The New Indian Express, and The Financial Express as of November 2025.
Source: Moneycontrol, The New Indian Express, and The Financial Express
Author: Team RA News