Arratai, the innovative instant messaging app developed by Zoho, is rapidly carving out a niche for itself in the competitive landscape dominated by WhatsApp. As a proudly Made in India alternative, Arratai has ascended to the top of the social networking category on app stores. However, its ambitious adoption strategy faces a significant hurdle: the absence of a crucial safety feature known as end-to-end encryption (E2EE).
Arattai vs WhatsApp: Privacy Hurdle?
Users are increasingly inquiring whether Zoho intends to implement end-to-end encryption for chats. While Arratai does offer E2EE for video and voice calls, its lack of this feature for text messaging could deter potential users from making the switch from WhatsApp. The absence of E2EE raises concerns about the security of messages, which could be intercepted or accessed by hackers, network providers, or even internal personnel if servers are compromised. In today’s digital landscape, where privacy is paramount, users expect E2EE as a standard feature. Applications lacking this capability often face scrutiny and can quickly lose user trust, especially when compared to established competitors like WhatsApp, Signal, and iMessage.
Moreover, the absence of encryption can lead to regulatory and reputational challenges, particularly for enterprise or cross-border communications. To address these concerns, Zoho’s co-founder needs to provide clear updates regarding the timeline for the encryption feature’s rollout, similar to the transparency shown regarding the storage of Indian customer data.
Other Privacy Issues?
In light of Arratai’s impressive growth, Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu has reassured Indian users about data privacy. This reassurance comes as the app has experienced a remarkable surge in daily sign-ups, jumping from 3,000 to 350,000 in just three days—a staggering increase of 100 times.
“We are proudly ‘Made in India, Made for the World’ and we mean it,” Vembu stated. To accommodate the rising app traffic, he mentioned that the company is “adding infrastructure on an emergency basis for another potential 100x peak surge.” This proactive approach reflects the exponential growth Arratai is experiencing, which has come ahead of a planned rollout of new features and marketing initiatives set for November.
Arattai’s ascent to the top of app store rankings underscores its growing appeal, but it also brings the pressure of meeting user expectations.
Why the Sudden Surge?
Initially launched in 2021, Arattai was regarded as an experimental project. However, in a climate increasingly concerned with data privacy, global surveillance, and the notion of “tech sovereignty,” its branding as a “spyware-free, made-in-India” messaging app has struck a chord with users across the country.
The app’s momentum gained further traction when India’s Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, publicly encouraged citizens to support local digital platforms, highlighting Arattai among his recommendations. High-profile tech advocates, such as Vivek Wadhwa, have also endorsed the app, praising its user experience and even dubbing it “India’s WhatsApp killer.”
Growing Pains: Infrastructure Under Strain
With its meteoric rise, Arratai is encountering the typical challenges faced by overnight sensations. Zoho has acknowledged issues such as delayed OTPs, slower contact synchronization, and occasional lag during sign-ups, all attributed to the surge in server demand. The company is actively working to expand its server capacity and aims to resolve these glitches within a matter of days.
