Zoho's Arattai app to introduce end-to-end encryption for text chats
What's the story
Zoho, the Indian tech giant, is gearing up to add end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for text messages on its messaging platform, Arattai. The announcement was made by the company's CEO Mani Vembu in an interview with Moneycontrol. He said, "In personal messaging, we already offer a 'secret chat' option that allows users to enable encryption for private conversations. While it is not the default yet, the entire team is focused on making it available to all users soon."
Security upgrade
Addressing user concerns about security
The move to add encrypted text messaging comes after a number of user queries about Arattai's security architecture. This is especially after Zoho confirmed that E2EE is already active for voice and video calls on the platform. The addition of this feature would bring Arattai in line with global messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal, which have long touted encryption as a core feature.
Local alternative
Arattai is part of India's digital sovereignty push
Developed in-house by Zoho, Arattai is part of the company's larger effort to create secure, locally developed alternatives to foreign digital services. The platform has gained renewed interest amid calls for greater digital sovereignty and data privacy in India. Launched in early 2021 as a privacy-focused communication tool for personal and professional use, Arattai has been getting better with the expertize and experience of over two decades of engineering work behind it.
Government support
Endorsements from Union ministers have boosted Arattai's profile
The app has gained momentum after Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Dharmendra Pradhan, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Piyush Goyal publicly endorsed it as an indigenous alternative to Big Tech offerings. This comes as part of Zoho's broader philosophy of data sovereignty and user control. The company hosts all its data within India and does not rely on ad-based monetization or third-party tracking.
User trust
Vembu assures users about focus on security and trust
Vembu said that despite the surge in interest for Arattai, the team is focused on improving the product's core technology instead of rushing out updates. He emphasized that "security and user trust are at the heart of everything we do." Once text chat encryption becomes default, all forms of communication on Arattai will be protected by E2EE, ensuring even Zoho can't access users' messages.