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Zoho is a company that belongs to India. And its founder, Sridhar Vembu, has always supported the idea of creating products that are completely made in India.
He believes that India has enough talent and skills to make world-class software and apps like Microsoft. Recently, he talked about their messaging app called Arattai (Like WhatsApp). He said that this is made In India App, and developed by Indian mobile app developers, for Indian users.
Basically, Arattai is a chat mobile application. And it works just like other messaging apps where people can send text messages, make voice calls, and do video calls.
Sridhar Vembu explained that the name “Arattai” means chat in Tamil language, and this is his native language. The app was quietly tested among a small group of people before launch the app for the public. Now it is available for download and can be used on smartphones.
The idea behind Arattai was simple that People often depend on US and UK apps for daily communication, but Zoho wanted to give a strong local option. Just like big apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, Arattai also provides privacy and security to its users.
According to Vembu, the app has end-to-end encryption like other apps. That means personal messages are safe and cannot be read by anyone else. He said security and independence are important, and Indian apps should take care of these needs without depending on big companies outside India.
Another point he told that Zoho, the company behind Arattai, does not depend on foreign investors. It runs on its own profits and is fully private. This is rare for a big technology company, because most of them take outside investment from large global funds.
But Zoho believes in being different. For Vembu, being independent is a core value. That is why he is confident that Arattai can grow without losing control to foreign powers.
Arattai is also designed to suit Indian conditions. 60% Indians live in villages or small towns where internet speed is not very good. The app is built in such a way that it works even on weaker networks.
This makes it friendly for rural areas as well. Vembu himself lives in a village in Tamil Nadu, and he often says that technology should not only serve cities but also reach every villagers. Arattai is one step in that direction.
The founder is hopeful that people in India will support local mobile apps as make in India slogan given by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He believes that Indian youth are smart enough to make software that can compete with the world’s best software. If people start using apps like Arattai, then India will become stronger in technology. It will also reduce the control of global companies over Indian users’ data.
In the end, Vembu’s message is clear. Arattai is not just another app, but this is an Indian app. It shows that India can build its own tools, app or software and become stronger in the digital world. This is why he proudly says: Arattai is made in India.