Zoho’s Arattai Emerges as Local Rival to WhatsApp With Unique Features

Indian software giant Zoho is positioning its messaging app Arattai as a homegrown alternative to WhatsApp, offering features that go beyond Meta’s popular service. Touted by many as a potential “WhatsApp killer,” Arattai emphasizes privacy, productivity, and India-centric data practices to attract users.

One standout feature is Arattai Meetings, which allows users to schedule, join, or review video conferences directly within the app. Unlike WhatsApp’s limited group calling tools, this integration brings functionality similar to Zoom or Google Meet, catering to professionals and students alike.

Arattai also introduces Pocket, a personal cloud storage space built into the app. Users can save notes, media, and files securely without the need to send content to themselves—a workaround that WhatsApp users often rely on. This makes Arattai particularly useful for managing personal data in one place.

Another differentiator is the Mentions tab, which collects all messages in which a user is tagged. This streamlines conversations in large groups, helping users avoid missing important updates, a capability WhatsApp does not provide natively.

Privacy and data security are central to Arattai’s pitch. The app does not serve advertisements and pledges not to use personal data for ad targeting. Furthermore, user data is stored within India, aligning with local regulatory preferences. While end-to-end encryption is currently available for voice and video calls, the company has yet to extend it fully to text messages.

Unlike WhatsApp, which has begun rolling out artificial intelligence features with limited opt-out options, Arattai has chosen not to integrate AI tools at this stage. Zoho has indicated that future AI enhancements, if introduced, will remain optional.

By combining stronger privacy assurances, productivity-focused tools, and India-based data storage, Arattai aims to challenge WhatsApp’s dominance in the messaging market while addressing user frustrations with Meta’s approach.