The wild rise and fall of Arattai: 420% Growth to 99% crash

If any app in recent times has got a massive attention in India, then it is Arattai.

It’s September 2025. Suddenly, everyone from government ministers to Influencers to your patriot uncle in the family group is telling you to download Arattai(ironically they share this message on WhatsApp). The vibe was strong, "India’s own WhatsApp" secure, private, and spyware-free. And it worked. Oh boy, did it work.

The "Main Character" energy

The app which originally was launched in January 2021, suddenly woke up in September 2025. The hype was so strong that it gained around a massive 2.63 million downloads in September alone. By October, the hype train had no brakes, downloads skyrocketed to 13.8 million. That is a massive 420% jump.

For a hot minute, it seemed like Mark Zuckerberg finally had a reason to sweat.

But here comes the plot twist.

Fast forward to November, and the charts look like a heartbreak song. Downloads crashed by approx. 99%, dropping to nearly 195,000, according to a report by MoneyControl. The app that was topping the charts in September tumbled out of the Top 100 on both App Store and Play store in India.

Why the vibe check failed

Let’s be real for a second. We Indians are emotional, sure. "Vocal for Local" gets us to hit the install button. But what keeps us on an app isn't patriotism; it’s convenience.

Arattai had two major "red flags."

1. The Glitches: When millions rushed in, the servers struggled. OTP delays and contact syncing issues killed the mood instantly.
2. The Privacy Gap: Ironically for a privacy-focused app, it launched without end-to-end encryption for direct texts (it was only for calls initially). In a world where we whisper secrets on digital platforms, that’s a dealbreaker.

Additionally, Arattai’s interface offered nothing unique compared to WhatsApp, which failed to convince people to make the switch.

The habit you can't get over (WhatsApp)

WhatsApp isn't just an app anymore; it’s a habit. It’s where your college notes are, where your mom sends "Good Morning" forwards, and where your society fights over parking.

Moving to Arattai felt like moving to a new house where none of your friends live. You downloaded it, looked around, saw an empty room (sannata), and went right back to WhatsApp.

The founder's "Long Game"

Zoho’s founder, Sridhar Vembu, isn't stressed though. He says they are playing a 5-15 year game and aren't bothered by the drop. He compared the hype to a sugar rush, fun while it lasted, but not the main meal. His team is now fixing the encryption gaps and building for stability, not just virality.

Well, this just shows that you can win an Indian's heart with sentiment, but you need a killer user experience to win their screen time. Until then, Arattai is just another app sitting in our app drawer, ghosting us while we scroll through WhatsApp statuses.