WhatsApp the app that's become so much a part of our daily lives now that it's second nature to our thumbs. From group chats with family members to office messages that could very easily have been an email, WhatsApp is the undisputed monarch. With over 500 million users in India alone, it's a sure bet that it's the monarch of the messaging jungle. But, keep your encrypted data to yourself there's competition on the horizon: Arattai. Yes, you heard that right, an Indian-developed messaging app that is all ready to challenge WhatsApp and find its own place.
Arattai,
developed by Chennai company Zoho, is making headway as a domestic substitute
for the likes of WhatsApp, Telegram, and the whole messaging fraternity.
"Arattai" is indeed "casual chat" in Tamil. That relaxed,
informal chat that doesn't have you questioning whether the government is
tapping in. But, wait until we get all fired up about having a WhatsApp
alternative, let's talk about that little detail: text messages aren't
end-to-end encrypted as a standard. That's right, it's true here first. Calls?
Utterly safe thanks to end-to-end encryption. But text messages? Not so much
there yet.
Now, don't get
me wrong, Arattai's got everything you'd expect from text messages, voice and
video calls, sharing of channels, stories, media, and all the things that make
you go, "Ah, I'm not in 2010 anymore." The catch? Well, without the
encryption on your typical texty chatty chats, it could have you wondering if
it's more of a "casual" chat app in the literal sense, rather than a
fortress for your own information.
But wait
Arattai is making waves, and not just in the app store. It has even been
endorsed by Indian Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as a "safe,
local" option. So, it would appear that it has that "patriotic
app" popularity factor going for it now. And with a number one placement
on the app store charts, it would appear that people are more than happy to
give it a shot, even with the brief encryption slip.
Can Arattai dethrone WhatsApp in India? Well, let's not forget that WhatsApp has deep roots here. Hike, Telegram, WeChat. all attempted to break the throne, but WhatsApp has a strong grip. Arattai is, however, gaining some traction. It's like that underdog flick where the feisty challenger receives support due to sheer will and some government-level support. Add the whole "Made in India" factor, and it has a patriotic glow which could well swing the crowds, especially in an era where digital sovereignty is the new buzzword.
Arattai may not
be the perfect substitute just yet, but it is undoubtedly Arattai try to
disrupt the market of WhatsApp in India. However, we might just have to keep
using WhatsApp for a little while longer until it makes end-to-end encryption
for text messages a default feature. What's the point, really, when you can't
text your mother securely without fearing that someone might see your shopping
list?