Introduction
Arattai has certainly taken the lead by topping app charts within India, driven by the push of the Indian government for nationalistic user downloads and homegrown platforms. The success of the app outlines an increasing user demand for local digital platforms among international inspection of the tech sector.
Zoho is all set to launch a novel messaging app known as Arattai. This particular app is being created to effortlessly work in low-bandwidth settings and low-end smartphones. This will help in addressing a major gap in the market, where most of the messaging platforms are resource-heavy.
What is Arattai?
- Within the Indian app store, Arattai, a homegrown messaging app, has achieved a top spot in the social networking category.
- Created by Zoho Corporation, a Chennai-based company, a long-recognized player within the software Industry of India, currently, the app is being promoted in the form of India’s own messaging solution.
- The app was launched in January 2021, after WhatsApp declared changes to its privacy policy.
- The name “Arattai” originates from the Tamil word for “chit-chat” or “chat”.
- It is being ranked as India’s answer to the international messaging apps, being a “made in India” solution, and focusing on privacy.
It enables users to send voice and text messages, video and voice calls, share videos, documents, and photos, create channels, groups, and stories. It comes with multi-device support throughout desktops, tablets, and smartphones (up to five devices at a time). Along with this, the app enables users to import conversations from other chat platforms.
The app intends to serve an inclusive, user-friendly, reliable, and safe communication experience even for users with slower internet connections or basic smartphones. As per the CEO of Zoho, Sridhar Vembu, the app is customized to smoothly operate within areas with low-speed and unreliable internet and with restricted processing power. By emphasizing lightweight design, the app intends to cater to a wider user base, which involves underserved regions and markets with challenges associated with digital infrastructure.
Security gap: Even though Arattai serves end-to-end encryption for calls, messages do not possess a similar protection. Furthermore, end-to-end encryption assures that only the receiver and sender can gain access to the content, by protecting against interception by third parties.
Reasons for sudden change
Government support: Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Education Minister, motivated Indians to use Arattai by referring to it as a safe, secure, easy-to-use, free, and made-in-India product. It is directed by the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s call towards adopting Swadeshi. Behind developing Arattai, the vision of Vembu is to generate an inclusive platform that ensures that every person, irrespective of their internet quality or device specifications, can access and utilize modern communication tools.
Patriotic emotion: This particular call to action is being mixed with a signal of social media buzz, along with patriotic downloads, which has driven the app towards the #1 spot on the app stores.
Privacy concerns: The pledge of the app to be spyware-free aligns with the users’ anxiety regarding data safety, along with privacy in the present digital landscape.
Offering scalable and affordable technology: Vembu determined that the organization’s commitment towards scalable and affordable technology remains a vital part of Zoho’s vision within India, where there still exists digital disparity.
Who can utilize Arattai?
- The app is available to every individual.
- It can be said that Arattai is accessible for download on both iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store).
- This states that any individual could install it and start using it by registering with a mobile number.
Features of Arattai:
- Apart from simple messaging, the app blends certain features of distribution tools, mini social networks through content sharing, multi-device hold up, along with channels and stories.
- The combination makes it an influential first choice for digitally savvy, along with privacy-conscious users.
- It comes with short bandwidth utilization.
Could Arattai take on WhatsApp?
- A vigorous competitor, instead of a substitute: Though Arattai comprises a hostile shot and is a principal step for Indian tech, it is presently positioned behind WhatsApp within a noteworthy zone: end-to-end encryption for messages.
- Misplaced core features: The power of WhatsApp is based on its enormously ingrained position in typical communication and its powerful protection features. Furthermore, being short of end-to-end encryption by Arattai leaves it vulnerable to supervision by hackers along with the government, which is determined to be a foremost gap for privacy-conscious users.
- Upcoming potential: To really challenge WhatsApp, Zoho is in needs to highlight incorporating complete end-to-end encryption for messages, extending its served infrastructure to continue user expansion, and frequently rolling out enhancements towards its user experience along with protection.
Intense competition: Other major apps, such as WeChat, Telegram, Hike, and many more, also try their luck in the software industry, but have failed to beat WhatsApp. So how could Arattai do it?
Arattai views 100 x upsurges in traffic
Sridhar Vembu, the co-founder of Zoho, stated on Monday that within only three days, the platform saw a 100-fold increase in traffic, with regular sign-ups jumping to 350,000 from 3,000.
On an emergency basis, we are including infrastructure in order to manage another possible 100x peak increase. That is how exponentials work, said Mr. Vembu on X. He also stated that Zoho has projected a big update with more capacity and novel features for November.
Conclusion
As far as the present situation is taken into account, Arattai is getting a huge amount of attention and is the initial step towards it. Furthermore, the “made in India” and homegrown identity taps into the increasing demand for digital platforms with the aim to beat WhatsApp, which facilitates it in a devoted frame.
Additionally, adding to its appeal, public support through the Indian government, along with the ministers, boosts both trustworthiness and visibility by serving a level of identification that most startups could only desire.
