Arattai improves yet sees low usage after climb to India's top social chart
The buzz around Arattai has been hard to ignore. After a flurry of updates that tightened its feature set and trimmed bugs, the Indian‑born messenger seemed poised to challenge the market’s heavyweights. Its climb to the summit of the country’s social‑app rankings sparked a wave of commentary on X and Reddit, prompting many to wonder whether a homegrown alternative could finally break the monopoly of global platforms.
Yet, the excitement has proved fleeting. Despite the technical polish and a brief surge in visibility, daily active users have slipped back toward pre‑growth levels, leaving the team grappling with a paradox: a better product that no one is actually opening. Mohit Pandey, who covers AI with a mix of clarity and humor, captures this tension in a single line that sums up the moment.
A few weeks ago, Arattai looked like it was on the rise. The app briefly shot to the top of India's social charts. Countless posts on X and Reddit d
A few weeks ago, Arattai looked like it was on the rise. The app briefly shot to the top of India's social charts. Countless posts on X and Reddit d 📣 Want to advertise in AIM?
Book here Mohit Pandey Mohit writes about AI in simple, explainable, and often funny words. He's especially passionate about chatting with those building AI for Bharat, with the occasional detour into AGI. We Need More Polymath Engineers And organisations need to pave the way for that.
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The Founder Who Walked Away from YC "Pessimists sound smart, but optimists make all the money," Supermemory founder Dhravya Shah said. 'We Are in the MS-DOS Era of AI' Abhishek Mathur of Figma says the next phase of AI will be defined by better design Unpacking India's Data Centre Boom India generates 20% of global data but stores only 3% of it locally.
Will the new encryption win users back? Arattai’s latest update adds end‑to‑end security, a green shield icon, and a direct appeal from co‑founder Sridhar Vembu to install the patch. Yet the numbers tell a different story.
After soaring to the top of India’s social charts in October with 1.36 crore downloads, the app recorded just two lakh installs in November. The contrast is stark, and it’s unclear whether the privacy boost alone can reverse the slide. While the upgrade marks the platform’s biggest technical push yet, the rapid drop suggests adoption hurdles remain.
Posts on X and Reddit once buzzed about Arattai’s rise, but the recent silence hints at waning interest. Mohit Pandey’s coverage notes the paradox: a better product that few are using. Whether users will respond to the security enhancements, or if other factors are driving the decline, remains uncertain.
For now, the data speak louder than the promises.
Further Reading
- From hype to hush: Why Zoho's Arattai fell off India's app charts - The New Indian Express
- Arattai usage record high, here is what Zoho is saying about encryption, monetisation and AI plans - India Today
- Zoho CEO Mani Vembu on Arattai's Explosive Growth & India's Shift - CNN-News18
- Arattai vs WhatsApp : India Messaging War Heating Up in 2025 - Digitalwala
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Common Questions Answered
What caused Arattai's brief rise to the top of India's social‑app rankings?
Aratti's surge was driven by a series of updates that tightened its feature set, fixed bugs, and generated buzz on platforms like X and Reddit. The improvements made the homegrown messenger appear ready to challenge global competitors, prompting a spike in downloads.
How many downloads did Arattai record in October compared to November?
In October, Arattai achieved 1.36 crore (13.6 million) downloads, propelling it to the summit of India's social charts. By contrast, November saw a sharp decline with only two lakh (200,000) installs, highlighting a dramatic drop in user acquisition.
What new security feature did Arattai introduce in its latest update?
The latest Arattai update added end‑to‑end encryption, signified by a green shield icon, to enhance user privacy. Co‑founder Sridhar Vembu directly appealed to users to install the patch, hoping the security boost would retain or attract more users.
Did the addition of end‑to‑end security reverse Arattai's declining user numbers?
Despite the introduction of end‑to‑end security, the numbers did not improve; installs fell from 1.36 crore in October to just two lakh in November. The article suggests it remains unclear whether the privacy upgrade alone can halt the downward trend.