Arattai App: What Is It and Can It Replace WhatsApp in India?

The last few years have seen the discourse around "Made in India" products gain momentum. Whether mobile phones or apps, Indian consumers now eagerly seek local substitutes for international behemoths. Amongst one such apps that have made waves in the world of messaging is Arattai, a privacy-centric messaging app built by Zoho Corporation, one of India's oldest and most reliable software organizations.

Arattai is quite literally the Tamil translation for "chat." That is simple to recall and get. But can Arattai do WhatsApp in India? That is a larger question. Let us see.

What Is Arattai?

Arattai is a messaging app that allows one to chat, share media, and stay in touch with friends and family. The app came quietly in 2020, but gained unprecedented traction when fear about WhatsApp's new privacy policy created debate about data sharing with Facebook (now Meta). Customers started looking for safer, more intimate messaging apps — and Arattai came into the spotlight.

Having been created by Zoho, the company with more than 75 million global customers for its business software bundle, Arattai benefits from brand trust. Zoho is famously well known to be extremely protective of user privacy, and that same attitude transfers over into the Arattai app.

Arattai offers

Arattai has an easy-to-use interface and fundamental features which enable users to transition from WhatsApp with minimal learning curve. Basic features of some of them are:

• Instant Messaging: One-to-one and group messaging, just like WhatsApp.
• Media Sharing: Easy sharing of images, videos, documents, and voice messages.
• Audio and Video Calls: One-to-one and group calling feature.
• Status Updates: Similar to WhatsApp's "Status," users can upload updates to their friends.
• Data Privacy: Zoho emphasizes that Arattai does not sell consumer data to advertisers.
• Cross-platform Availability: The application is available in Android and iOS with web access in development.

In short, Arattai completes the essentials that a contemporary chat application is expected to have.

Why People Are Comparing Arattai With WhatsApp

The convergence is to be observed — both apps are the same in what they achieve. But for a couple of reasons, Arattai is slowly being spoken about as a satisfactory alternative:

1. WhatsApp Privacy Issues: Ever since WhatsApp updated its privacy policy in 2021, the majority of users were not comfortable with the way their data would be handled by Meta. Arattai positions itself as a privacy-first service.
2. Made in India Feeling: Plenty of national pride is at stake. With a push like Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), there's an inclination to prefer Indian products. Arattai, being local, is the doctor's orders.
3. Feature Parity: Since Arattai already provides most of WhatsApp's basic features, the shift doesn't quite seem so drastic for users.

Challenges Ahead for Arattai

Though the app has generated some curiosity, it isn't so simple to replace WhatsApp. These are some of the challenges it has:

• User Base: There are more than 500 million users of WhatsApp in India, so it is embedded in everyday communication. Getting people to switch is a gargantuan effort.
• Network Effect: Messaging apps thrive when "everyone is already there." So popular is WhatsApp that people hardly ever consider switching unless all their friends switch too.
• Features Gap: Arattai may have the fundamentals, but WhatsApp keeps delivering groundbreaking features such as WhatsApp Pay, group communities, and integrations. Arattai will need to innovate continuously in order to keep pace.
• Trust Building: Even though Zoho is a well-known brand, Arattai will need to demonstrate solid marketing and visibility to contend with a giant like WhatsApp.

Can Arattai Replace WhatsApp in India?

Short answer is — not anytime soon. WhatsApp's popularity, worldwide connectivity, and network effect make it highly unlikely for any other app to replace it in the near future. But Arattai can find its own niche by playing up on privacy, simplicity, and the "Made in India" factor.

If Zoho continues to add to the app, packing it with new features, and driving it relentlessly, Arattai may be a serious second messaging application for tens of millions of Indians seeking a local, privacy-focused alternative.

Last Thoughts

Arattai is not simply a messaging app — it is India's emerging capacity for producing world-class-quality software solutions. Although WhatsApp is still the default, Arattai presents an interesting alternative for users who care about privacy and want to support a homegrown one.

So is Arattai ever going to overtake WhatsApp? Almost certainly not in the short term. But can it coexist and be a healthy, India-first messaging platform? Absolutely yes. And in a mobile age when choice is monarch, having Arattai as a choice is a victory for Indian consumers.