With Zoho’s messaging app Arattai getting a big endorsement from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, all eyes are on the “free, easy-to-use, secure and safe” app that can rival WhatsApp in India.
Sridhar Vembu, who is the CEO and founder of Zoho, said Arattai can run smoothly on low-end smartphones with limited processing power and in areas with unreliable or low-speed internet.
Arattai is a Tamil word which loosely translated to “chit-chat” or “casual chat”. Zoho chose the name to reflect the app’s mission, which is to enable simple and everyday conversation with features like texting, voice and video calls as well as sharing of content. It can also let users post stories and create channels.
Zoho says Arattai offers end-to-end encrypted calls to ensure privacy of users.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to adopt Swadeshi, minister Pradhan urged Indians to the Made-in-India app Arattai. “Guided by Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodiji’s call to adopt Swadeshi, I appeal to everyone to switch to India-made apps for staying connected with friends and family,” he posted on X, sharing the link to download Arattai app.
This came after Union IT and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw promoted Zoho’s products during a Union Cabinet briefing, saying his presentation was made using Zoho Show and not Microsoft PowerPoint.
Based in Chennai, Arattai maker Zoho Coporation was founded by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas in 1996. The company’s motto is ‘Made in India, Made for the world’.
