In the past few weeks, Arattai, a homegrown messaging app developed by Indian tech giant Zoho, has suddenly taken India by storm. The company claims the app hit seven million downloads in just seven days, though it didn’t share exact dates. To put that in perspective, market research firm Sensor Tower reported that Arattai had fewer than 10,000 downloads back in August — a massive leap in a short time.
The word Arattai means “banter” in Tamil. The app first had a quiet launch in 2021, but it largely went unnoticed. Its recent surge in popularity is being linked to the Indian government’s renewed call for self-reliance, especially after the country felt the heat of steep US trade tariffs on Indian goods.
It’s a sentiment Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pushing strongly — “Make in India, spend in India.” Several ministers have echoed this message, including Dharmendra Pradhan, who recently urged users on X (formerly Twitter) to use “India-made apps to stay connected.” Since then, Arattai has been trending, with more ministers and business leaders joining the movement.
Zoho credits this government backing for the app’s explosive growth.
“In just three days, we saw daily sign-ups jump from 3,000 to 350,000,” said Zoho CEO Mani Vembu in an interview with the BBC. “Our active users grew by 100 times, and the number is still climbing. This shows how eager people are to support a homegrown product that meets their unique needs.”
However, Arattai still has a long way to go before it can take on Meta’s WhatsApp, which boasts over 500 million monthly active users in India — the platform’s biggest market worldwide.
WhatsApp isn’t just a chat app in India — it’s a daily habit. From sending good morning messages to managing businesses, it’s deeply woven into the country’s digital life.
Whether Arattai can turn this viral moment into long-term success remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear — India’s push for local innovation has sparked fresh competition in a space long ruled by global giants.