Zoho CEO Mani Vembu recently said that the company will soon introduce WhatsApp-like end-to-end encryption to its messaging platform Arattai. In an interview with Money Control, Vembu said “we are working on it and see already in the personal messaging, we have an option called personal chat or secret chat.” “So that means you could enable it and then say have the conversation. We are not yet making it default. The entire team is focusing on that. So soon, we will enable that for all the users,” he added.Vembu was responding to the question “When will end-to-end encryption be available for text chats?”The interaction comes amidst the rising popularity of Arattai on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. According to the company, the app touched over 7.5 million downloads on both app stores as on October 3, 2025.
What is Arattai
Arattai is a Tamil word meaning “casual conversation” or “chit-chat”. Positioned as a Made-in-India alternative to Meta-owned WhatsApp, the app allows users to
- Send text and voice messages
- Make voice and video calls
- Share photos, videos and documents
- Post Stories
- Join groups and channels
Additionally, the app offers support for up to five devices at a time. The company claims Arattai stores all users’ data in data centres located in India.
Anand Mahindra, Piyush Goyal download Arattai
Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal announced last week that he has joined the indigenously developed Arattai app. “Nothing beats the feeling of using a #Swadeshi product. So proud to be on @Arattai, a #MadeInIndia messaging platform that brings India closer. My team and I are on board and are looking forward to also connecting with you here,” he wrote in an X post then.Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra also said he had downloaded the app ‘with pride’. “Downloaded Arattai today… With pride,” Mahindra wrote on X.
