A Secure, Easy-to-Use, Made-in-India Messaging App by Zoho

In a digital age where data privacy and national sovereignty are gaining renewed importance, the phrase “Proudly going Swadeshi” resonates deeply. Zoho’s Arattai positions itself as exactly that — a homegrown, secure, and user-friendly messaging platform built in India, for India.

Let’s explore what makes Arattai compelling, where it stands today, and how this fits into the larger vision of digital autonomy.

Proudly Going Swadeshi with Arattai

What Is Arattai?

  • Developed by Zoho Corporation, an Indian software company with over a decade of experience in collaboration and communication tools.

  • The name “Arattai” means “chat” or “casual conversation” (in Tamil), reflecting its mission to enable everyday communication.

  • Available across platforms — mobile (Android, iOS) and desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux) — with support for multi-device login.

Key Features That Set Arattai Apart

  1. Secure Calls & Privacy Focus
    Voice and video calls are protected by end-to-end encryption, ensuring only participants can access the content.
    For messages, the app offers “secret chat” functionality and Zoho has publicly committed to rolling out full end-to-end encryption more broadly.

  2. Lightweight & Optimized for Low-End Devices
    Arattai is designed to run smoothly even on basic smartphones and in low-bandwidth environments — an important factor for inclusion beyond urban centers.

  3. Full Messaging & Media Support
    Users can send text, voice notes, images, files, documents; make audio and video calls; create groups and channels; and more.

  4. Android TV Support
    A unique edge over many competitors: Arattai offers a dedicated Android TV app, enabling messaging/communication via large screens.

  5. Data Locality & Sovereignty
    One of the highlights in public discourse: user data is stored in India, reinforcing the app’s alignment with national privacy and regulatory expectations.

  6. Integration & Workflow Automations
    Arattai can integrate with Zoho’s broader ecosystem and tools (like Zoho Cliq) and be part of automated workflows using Zoho Flow.

Momentum & Market Response

  • Following endorsements by government ministers and support from the “use-made-in-India” narrative, Arattai saw explosive adoption, briefly topping charts in India’s app stores.

  • Download and usage surged in a short span, stretching Zoho’s server capacity and prompting infrastructure scaling.

  • The app is still evolving — certain messaging encryption features are being rolled out, and further enhancements are expected.

Challenges & Considerations

  • Unlike calls, not all messages are yet fully end-to-end encrypted. That is a concern for privacy-first users.

  • Competing against entrenched platforms like WhatsApp means overcoming network effects, trust, feature parity, and user habits.

  • Maintaining uptime and user experience under rapid growth is nontrivial — the infrastructure must scale sustainably.

Why This Matters for India & Businesses

  • The push for digital sovereignty means more Indian users, organizations, and government bodies will consider local alternatives to foreign apps.

  • Businesses that adopt Swadeshi tools strengthen their alignment with national policy, reduce external dependencies, and maintain better regulatory compliance.

  • For enterprises already using Zoho’s ecosystem (CRM, collaboration, workflows), Arattai can be a natural extension of internal communication and notifications.

How Trimfinity Consulting Supports the Arattai Adoption Journey

  1. Awareness & Education
    Helping users and organizations understand the advantages, limitations, and best practices of migrating to Arattai (or running it alongside existing tools).

  2. Integration with Business Systems
    Integrate Arattai for alerts, internal notifications, real-time updates, chat bots, or workflow triggers tied into CRM or operations.

  3. Security Audits & Governance
    Advising organizations on secure configuration, encryption settings, access controls, backup policies, and compliance.

  4. Training & Change Management
    Ensuring staff, partners, and customers can use Arattai confidently, migrate chats if needed, and adjust habits.

  5. Monitoring & Support
    As Arattai continues to evolve, helping manage updates, scaling challenges, and ensuring continuity.

Conclusion

“Proudly going Swadeshi with Arattai” is more than a tagline — it’s a call to rethink how communication in India happens. In an era of data concerns, geopolitical shifts, and renewed focus on self-reliance, Made-in-India alternatives like Arattai matter.

Arattai currently offers a compelling mix: a secure foundation (especially for calls), broad messaging capabilities, low resource demands, and integration potential within Zoho’s ecosystem. While it’s still growing and ironing out advanced encryption features, the momentum is clear.

At Trimfinity consulting, we believe in supporting tools and platforms that are built for India and by Indians. If you’re considering adopting Arattai for your organization or exploring how it could complement your communication stack — we’re here to consult, integrate, and support every step.