India is getting a new messaging app, and even the government is giving it a push and support. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, on Wednesday, encouraged citizens to try Arratai, a homegrown messaging app developed by Chennai-based company Zoho. This is a Made in India alternative to WhatsApp.
Pradhan, in a post, described Arratai as free, easy to use, secure, and safe, while highlighting its domestic roots. This move aligns with the broader Swadeshi movement initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging citizens to support locally-made digital tools to stay connected with friends, family, and colleagues.
🟢 More About Arratai:
The app name “Arratai” means casual chat in Tamil — a nod to its core mission: making everyday communication simple, reliable, and enjoyable. Users can send messages, images, videos, and documents, make voice and video calls, and create stories and channels. Even businesses can use the platform to reach and engage audiences through content sharing, making it a versatile option for both personal and professional use.
Built with user privacy in mind, Arratai currently offers end-to-end encrypted calls, ensuring that voice and video calls are secure. According to Zoho, the app is part of the company’s broader, long-term strategy to offer Indian alternatives to global tech products — not only for Indians but also for users worldwide.
🏢 About Zoho – The Parent Company:
Founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas, Zoho is headquartered in Chennai and offers a wide range of enterprise applications, including email, CRM, HR, accounting, and project management tools. The company currently serves over 130 million users globally.
The government has shown significant interest in Zoho’s products. Earlier, Union IT and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted Zoho’s tools during a Union Cabinet meeting, noting that their presentation was made using Zoho Show — not any international presentation platform — underlining the company’s capabilities.
⚠️ The Only Drawback:
One current limitation of Arratai is that messages are not end-to-end encrypted between sender and recipient. While calls are encrypted, messages do not yet offer the same level of security. End-to-end encryption ensures that even the service provider cannot access the content of messages. Without this feature, Arratai currently cannot offer the same level of protection as other messaging apps like WhatsApp. This is a critical area the company needs to address if it hopes to become a long-term global alternative.