India’s push for Swadeshi technology solutions is beginning to show real impact. Zoho’s homegrown messaging app Arattai, once a relatively low-profile platform, has suddenly skyrocketed in popularity after receiving strong backing from senior government ministers. The app, often dubbed a “WhatsApp rival,” has witnessed a 185X jump in downloads and a 40X surge in daily active users (DAUs) within just one week.

Unprecedented Growth in Downloads and Usage

According to Sensor Tower, a mobile app intelligence firm, Arattai’s installs and daily active usage soared dramatically between September 21 and September 27. What was once an app averaging just 300 downloads a day is now attracting 1,00,000 daily installs, thanks to government endorsements and growing public attention on India’s self-reliant tech ecosystem.

By September 27, Arattai had already accumulated around 4,00,000 downloads in India, compared to a mere 10,000 installs in August. Daily active users also surged from about 1,000 DAUs to nearly 2,00,000 DAUs over the weekend of September 26–27. For perspective, WhatsApp continues to dominate with nearly 500 million DAUs in India, but Arattai’s rapid rise is notable for a young indigenous platform.

Support From Senior Ministers Fuels Momentum

The sudden boost in Arattai’s popularity can be traced back to visible support from key Union Ministers including Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Dharmendra Pradhan. In a widely circulated post on X, Piyush Goyal wrote:

“Nothing beats the feeling of using a Swadeshi product. So proud to be on Arattai, a Made in India messaging platform that brings India closer.”

This endorsement not only created social media buzz but also positioned Arattai as a symbol of digital self-reliance.

Scaling Challenges and Infrastructure Boost

The exponential growth also presented challenges. Zoho’s Co-founder and Chief Scientist Sridhar Vembu revealed that sign-ups have gone up 100 times in recent days, forcing the company to rapidly expand infrastructure to meet demand. He described the situation as an “emergency” where server and backend support are being scaled up to handle the flood of new users.

Interoperability Vision for the Future

Vembu also shared his broader vision for Arattai, emphasizing the need for open, interoperable systems. Unlike WhatsApp’s closed ecosystem, he envisions Arattai working like UPI or email, enabling cross-platform communication. To achieve this, he has initiated discussions with industry leaders such as Sharad Sharma of iSpirt to standardize and publish messaging protocols.

Built on Swadeshi Foundations

Arattai was first launched in Beta in 2021, at a time when WhatsApp’s new privacy policies had sparked debate. However, Zoho chose not to aggressively market the app then. Instead, it focused on long-term innovation, staying committed to a “Swadeshi-first” philosophy.

Vembu highlighted Zoho’s dedication to indigenous R&D projects spanning compilers, databases, operating systems, chip design, and robotics. He reiterated that Zoho does not rely on global cloud giants like AWS or Azure for core hosting, ensuring data sovereignty. While some regional switching nodes use third-party services to speed up traffic, user data is not stored on them, reinforcing trust in data security.

Competitive Landscape

While WhatsApp remains the undisputed leader in India’s messaging market, Arattai’s rise is significant. By reaching the top spot on app stores in the social networking category, it has proven that Indian-made platforms can compete with global tech giants when backed by strong ecosystems and policy support.

Conclusion

The meteoric rise of Arattai reflects not just the power of government endorsement, but also the growing appetite among Indian users for homegrown, secure, and interoperable digital platforms. With its 185X growth in downloads, India-first features, and Zoho’s long-term R&D strategy, Arattai is emerging as more than just a messaging app — it is becoming a symbol of India’s digital self-reliance movement.

If sustained and scaled strategically, Arattai could soon transform from being a “WhatsApp alternative” into a mainstream communication platform that represents India’s Swadeshi tech ambitions.

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The post Swadeshi Digital Wave: Govt-Backed Arattai Sees 40X DAU Growth, 4 Lakh Installs in September appeared first on Before You Take.