Zoho's 'hopelessly foolish' messaging app sees 350,000 daily sign-ups
Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu recently called his own messaging app, Arattai, "hopelessly foolish"—even though it's exploded in popularity across India since launching in 2021, now seeing over 350,000 daily sign-ups.
He says the project only worked because of Zoho's unique structure and not having to chase quarterly profits.
Arattai lets you chat, make voice/video calls, share media, and host group chats with up to 1,000 people.
App took off for its 'made-in-India' appeal
Vembu admitted that most public companies couldn't have pulled off something like Arattai due to constant financial pressure.
Even Zoho employees doubted the idea at first.
Still, the app caught on for being "made-in-India" and promising a spyware-free experience—a big draw for users.
Arattai offers end-to-end encryption and is totally free
Arattai offers end-to-end encryption for calls (with chat encryption on the way), supports multiple devices including Android TV, and is totally free.
With India pushing for more digital independence amid privacy concerns and global tensions, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently praised Arattai as "secure" and encouraged people to use local apps.
Vembu compares Zoho's approach to ISRO's
Vembu compared Zoho's approach to that of ISRO—focusing on long-term research instead of short-term gains.
He suggested that this patient strategy enabled Zoho to pursue bold projects like Arattai that might not have been attempted by others.