- By Alex David
- Mon, 06 Oct 2025 04:04 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Zoho, the Indian tech company known for a suite of enterprise software, has released Arattai, a free messaging and calling app marketed as an Indian alternative to WhatsApp. Crafted to work seamlessly on entry-level smartphones and slower Internet networks, Arattai offers a simple, secure, and lightweight communication experience for Indians.
The app’s name, “Arattai” (in Tamil, “Arattai” means Casual conversation), embodies Arattai’s mission to offer simple and personalised communication for everyone—from families to small businesses.
Key Features of Arattai
Arattai provides voice and text messages, multimedia content sharing (photos and videos), voice and video calls, and group chat with up to 1000 participants. It also brings in dedicated channels for more organised communication inside bigger groups or communities — a feature that distinguishes it from WhatsApp’s core product.
Zoho assures users that its app was created with privacy in mind and guarantees them that no third parties will gain access to their personal data.
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Platform Compatibility and Performance
Arattai has been designed and developed especially for Indian users- Most international conversation applications are not optimized for India. It doesn't require much mobile data to function, so it works great even on older phones or when network conditions are spotty.
As it uses very little memory, Cool Launcher is also good for those with entry-level smartphones. Arattai is therefore especially useful in rural or area, where internet speeds can be vary.
But WhatsApp is a relatively heavier app with more features that are available on both Android and iOS. The huge downside to WhatsApp, is that I find it to be heavy (at times, the app lags a bit on any low-end device).
Messaging and Communication Features
The basic messaging features — text chats, voice notes and file sharing (images, videos and documents) are available across both on Arattai as well as WhatsApp.
Whats App allows for end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls, group chat with up to 1,024 participants, features such as status updates and disappearing messages that allow temporary sharing of content.
Arattai meets most of these requirements but adds its own twist: larger group chats (up to 1,000 members) and channels that enable one-way broadcasts for communities, teams or businesses - making announcements, discussions and event coordination much simpler than with Telegram channels.
Privacy and Security: A Key Differentiator
Both messaging services still keep privacy as their main priority, and even if they’re not identical in every aspect of how you would approach them, both have subtly distinct trajectories.
WhatsApp end-to-end encryption makes sure that all messages, calls, photos and videos shared on The WhatsApp platform remain accessible only to you and the person with whom you are communicating. There is an automatic encryption which cannot be disabled - providing strong protection for your data.
Zoho, meanwhile, points to its “privacy-positive” mission. The policies of Arattai clearly indicate that the user data will never be shared with the third party (works for privacy conscious users). But Zoho has not specified, as yet, whether Arattai uses end-to-end encryption like WhatsApp.
With Zoho’s excellent track record in protecting enterprise data, Arattai may well become a viable option for those who are looking for privacy-first messaging made-in-India.
Competing with WhatsApp in India
WhatsApp offers the most popular messaging app in India, with more than 500 million active users. But increasing concerns over sharing of data with parent company Meta have made privacy-focused Indian apps more popular.
The launch of Arattai is well timed, considering India’s tech ecosystem is currently rallying for digital independence, promoting locally developed options over global tech platforms. If you were among users looking for a more no-frills and transparent messaging option, Arattai’s mix of dependability, low data usage, and firm privacy stance may have been something you settled into.
In the short run, Arattai may not be the one to replace WhatsApp overnight, but with its emphasis on functions, privacy and community-driven features it’s a local alternative Indian users can take seriously — especially if you’re yearning for a cleaner, more efficient mode of communication.