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Piyush Goyal joins Zoho’s Arattai chat app
Arattai, India’s own messaging app developed by Chennai-based Zoho Corporation, is experiencing a significant surge in daily sign-ups, rising from 3,000 to 350,000 within just three days, representing a 100-fold increase.
Zoho’s Chief Scientist and co-founder, Sridhar Vembu, said that teams are working around the clock to scale infrastructure and resolve technical issues triggered by the sudden spike.
“We are adding infrastructure on an emergency basis for another potential 100x peak surge. That is how exponentials work,” he wrote on X, disclosing that the growth came months ahead of a planned November rollout of new features and marketing campaigns.
We have faced a 100x increase in Arattai traffic in 3 days (new sign-ups went vertical from 3K/day to 350K/day). We are adding infrastructure on an emergency basis for another potential 100x peak surge. That is how exponentials work.
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) September 28, 2025
As we add a lot more infrastructure, we are…
All you need to know about Arattai
Arattai, meaning “casual chat” in Tamil, reflects the app’s mission of simple, everyday communication. It provides features familiar to messaging users, including text, image, video and document sharing, voice and video calls, and stories.
The app also supports multiple devices, including desktop and Android TV.
Businesses can also use channels to connect with audiences, broadening the app’s appeal beyond personal use. Privacy is key to its design, with end-to-end encrypted calls ensuring secure conversations.
In the current scenario, with rising concerns about data privacy, global surveillance, and “tech sovereignty”, Zoho's chat app Arattai is positioning itself as a “spyware‑free, made‑in‑India” messenger, which is resonating with Indians.
Piyush Goyal joins Arattai
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, announced that he and his team are already using Arattai.
“Nothing beats the feeling of using a #Swadeshi product,” Goyal wrote on X.
He added: “So proud to be on @Arattai, a #MadeInIndia messaging platform that brings India closer. My team and I are on board and are looking forward to also connecting with you here,” along with a link to download the app.
The official page of Arattai on X responded to Minister Goyal with a warm welcoming message: “We welcome the Honourable Union Minister of Commerce & Industry @PiyushGoyal and team to Arattai with great pride. Their trust and support inspire us to keep innovating and strengthening Arattai. Thank you for your support”
We welcome the Honourable Union Minister of Commerce & Industry @PiyushGoyal and team to Arattai with great pride. 🙏 Their trust and support inspire us to keep innovating and strengthening Arattai. Thank you for your support 💛#StayConnected#Arattaihttps://t.co/ratXsyalLe
— Arattai (@Arattai) September 29, 2025
Swadeshi push with homegrown chat app
Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, publicly urged citizens to favour local digital platforms, citing Arattai among the recommended apps.
High-profile tech voices, such as Vivek Wadhwa, tried the app and praised its polish, even calling Arattai “India’s WhatsApp killer” in terms of messaging feel.
Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas has also congratulated Zoho’s Arattai for the record sign-ups.