Union minister endorses ‘swadeshi’ Arattai app: What is it and why is it making waves?

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently endorsed the 'Made in India' Arattai app on his X account.

Updated on: Sep 28, 2025, 13:57:00 IST

By HT News Desk

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In the wake of India's effort to push indigenous 'swadeshi' platforms and products, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently endorsed the 'Made in India' Arattai app as an alternative to other similar apps, such as WhatsApp.

The Arattai app is built by Chennai-based technology firm Zoho Corporation. (X)

Arattai, built by Chennai-based technology firm Zoho Corporation, is making waves with its "free, easy-to-use, secure, and safe" user interface.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on the Arattai app. (X)

"Arattai instant messaging app developed by @Zoho is free, easy-to-use, secure, safe and 'Made in India'. Guided by Honourable PM Shri @narendramodi ji's call to adopt Swadeshi, I appeal to everyone to switch to India-made apps to stay connected with friends and family," Pradhan wrote on X.

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What is Arattai?

Arattai, which means "casual chat" in Tamil, is a messaging app similar to WhatsApp designed for simple, everyday communication.

Launched by Zoho, Arattai enables people to send messages, images, videos, and documents, initiate voice and video calls, share stories, and manage channels.

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It's designed for personal use as well as business communication, with features for sharing content and engaging with the audience.

What are its key features:

One-on-one and group messaging
Voice and video calls (with end-to-end encryption)
File and media sharing
Stories and broadcast channels
Business-friendly tools for audience engagement

How is Arattai different from WhatsApp

Arattai provides end-to-end encrypted calling but not end-to-end encrypted messaging, which might be a turn-off for users who value their privacy.

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This is still one of the major differences between Arattai and the likes of WhatsApp, which encrypts both calls and messages by default.

Why is Arattai making headlines?

The app gained attention following Union minister Pradhan's social media post on platform X, connecting Arattai to the government's "Swadeshi" drive and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to promote Indian-made goods.

Separately, Union IT and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also mentioned Zoho's products in a Cabinet briefing, citing a government presentation created using Zoho Show rather than Microsoft PowerPoint.

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HT News Desk
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