Zoho Corporation’s homegrown messaging application Arattai is experiencing a rise in downloads and active users, being viewed by many as India’s answer to WhatsApp. With a commitment to a privacy-first approach and strong local support, the Chennai-based company has branded Arattai as a reliable alternative in a landscape where over 500 million individuals heavily depend on Meta-owned WhatsApp for personal and business communication. However, as interest in Arattai increases, privacy-conscious users have raised an important concern. Despite its marketing as a secure, privacy-oriented app, Arattai currently does not provide end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default for text chats—a feature that rivals such as WhatsApp, Signal, and certain aspects of Telegram already offer for chats, calls, and video messages.
Currently, Arattai ensures that voice and video calls are fully encrypted, but text conversations are less secure unless users manually activate a specific “secret chat” mode. Critics argue that requiring users to toggle encryption for messages detracts from the platform’s convenience, leaving many everyday communications unprotected. This issue has sparked discussions on social media, with users asserting that default protection should be standard rather than optional.
In response to these concerns, Arattai’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) stated, “Privacy is super important to us, and end-to-end encryption for chats is something we’re actively working on.” This response has provided some reassurance, but many believe that without complete E2EE, Arattai may find it difficult to persuade security-focused users to fully transition from WhatsApp. Despite this limitation, Arattai has various features to offer. The cross-platform app allows users to send text and voice messages, conduct high-quality video and audio calls, share documents, photos, and videos, create group chats, and post stories. A notable feature is its multi-device support, which lets up to five devices connect to a single account with automatic synchronization of contacts, messages, and settings.
Additionally, the app is entirely free of subscription fees, making it more accessible to a broader audience. By hosting all user data within India, Zoho further reinforces its privacy-first stance, distinguishing it from international competitors. Although Arattai was launched in 2021, it has only recently risen to the top of India’s app rankings. While this progress is commendable, maintaining it against WhatsApp’s entrenched dominance presents a significant challenge. WhatsApp’s integration into various aspects of Indian digital life—from family discussions to online commerce and government interactions—provides it with a competitive advantage, coupled with its expanding business ecosystem.
Sridhar Vembu, Zoho’s founder, has also mentioned plans to make Arattai interoperable with other platforms, asserting, “We do not want monopoly ever.” With the increasing need for secure communication, Arattai has captured national interest. However, to genuinely compete with WhatsApp and gain user trust, implementing default end-to-end encryption for all chats will be a vital next step.