The Indian government is promoting Arattai, a domestically-developed messaging app available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan encouraging its adoption. This push aligns with the ‘Swadeshi’ movement, which supports locally made products. Developed by Zoho, the application is designed to compete with international technology firms. The government’s use of the platform for official work further highlights its potential.
WhatsApp has a vast user base of over 400 million daily active users worldwide. The platform’s features, like voice notes, file sharing and money transfers, have made it popular and indispensable for communication. The widespread usage of WhatsApp makes a rapid user shift to another platform unlikely. For Arattai to be successful, it must offer compelling benefits to attract users.
The issue of user data permissions is significant. Most apps collect user data for personalized experiences, with privacy concerns about how the data is handled. It’s too early to know how Arattai will handle user data, but its Indian focus may see it avoid exploitation. Government support for the application could increase user confidence and drive new user acquisition.