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Arattai is a made in India app that is getting a lot of support from the government and is viewed as a WhatsApp alternative for millions.
Arattai is India’s local rival for WhatsApp but is that going to work?
Arattai is the latest messaging app that not only wants a pie from WhatsApp’s base, it wants to do one better.
The made in India messaging app Arattai has been making the headlines for its origin and the obvious local nature of the platform as the Indian government pitches for more domestic products and apps to millions.
Arattai has been developed by the team at Zoho which is also looking to compete with global giants like Microsoft, and recently got the government to adopt its platforms for work needs.
But this is not the first time we are seeing another WhatsApp challenger coming to the fore and trying what many others have done earlier had mostly failed to dislodge the undisputed leader. Can Arattai shake that barrier and get more people to connect?
Beating WhatsApp, Not Easy
WhatsApp has been around much before Facebook (now Meta) even thought of acquiring the platform. The app caters to over 400 million daily active users in India itself and billions more across the globe. But WhatsApp in India is just not a messaging app. You can send voice notes, files, and even money, at least in India via UPI payment.
Another made in India app called Koo decided to become the local alternative to Twitter (now X) and after multiple attempts that platform had to shut down. So all these cases tell you that beating WhatsApp isn’t easy and Arattai will probably need more than a government push to become as relevant as its competition.
The WhatsApp Circle Conundrum
Many people have thought about leaving WhatsApp for various reasons. The platform was allegedly sharing data with Meta, for which it wanted people to accept the new privacy terms and that became an issue in India. Later, the platform started showing ads, which prompted many to consider leaving.
But the actual exodus never worked out, simply because WhatsApp is far too ingrained into the ecosystem and the society that dropping away means you lose one big source of communication with the world.
Yes, the marketing spams and brands reaching out without permission/consent is still a nagging issue but millions have looked beyond these glitches and see the bigger picture of using the app as the right cause.
This is the level of popularity and usage that apps like Arattai will try to achieve but history suggests planning for such changes is easy, doing them is a challenge that many have tried and found it hard to succeed.
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr…Read More
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr… Read More
Delhi, India, India
September 29, 2025, 11:41 IST
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