India's Homegrown Messaging App Arattai Surges Amid Government Backing

In the weeks leading up to November 13, 2025, a chorus of top Indian officials have publicly backed the domestically developed messaging platform Arattai, as the country tries to project its ability to create a homegrown rival to US-developed apps.

The endorsements from figures like Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah have rocketed Arattai, which has similar features to Meta-owned WhatsApp, to the top of India's app charts. Daily sign-ups for the app surged from 3,000 to 350,000 in October 2025, according to Zoho's billionaire founder and CEO Sridhar Vembu.

However, dethroning WhatsApp, which has 530 million monthly users in India, will be a significant challenge for Arattai. Experts say the homegrown app will likely remain a "second option" to the US-developed messaging giant, which has dominated the Indian market despite attempts by international rivals like China's WeChat to break its hold.

The push for Arattai reflects a broader sentiment within the Indian government to challenge the dominance of Silicon Valley's big tech platforms by promoting local alternatives. This tech nationalism has also raised privacy concerns, as Arattai has yet to introduce end-to-end encryption for group chats.

Despite the obstacles, the Indian government remains bullish on Arattai and other homegrown tech solutions, seeing them as a way to reduce the country's "digital dependence on US technology" and bolster its position in the global tech landscape.