Jai Siya Ram

The “Zoho App Beats WhatsApp & Microsoft” narrative stems from two main points of success for the Indian software company, Zoho Corporation, within a short period:

1. Zoho’s Messaging App, Arattai, Tops App Store

Zoho’s instant messaging app, Arattai (meaning ‘chat’ in Tamil), momentarily surged to the number one spot in the Social Networking category of major app stores (both iOS and Android) in India, overshadowing WhatsApp and Telegram.

• Key Driver: The sudden surge in popularity was driven by strong “Swadeshi” (Made in India) endorsements from high-profile Indian government ministers, who urged citizens to switch to local digital platforms.
• Key Features & Appeal: Arattai, launched in 2021, is positioned as a secure, privacy-focused alternative that does not sell user data for advertising. It offers standard features like one-on-one and group chats, voice and video calls, and is optimized for low-bandwidth networks (important for rural areas).
• Context: While this was a significant, if brief, victory in app store rankings, WhatsApp retains a massive, deeply entrenched user base (over half a billion users) in India. Arattai’s long-term challenge is converting downloads into sustained daily usage.

2. Zoho Challenges Microsoft’s Enterprise Dominance

Zoho’s founder, Sridhar Vembu, publicly declared that Zoho is the only company in the world capable of taking on Microsoft in the breadth and depth of its software suite.

• Zoho’s Claim: Vembu asserted that Zoho offers a broader and superior product suite than Microsoft, covering over 50+ cloud-based apps across CRM, HR, finance, AI, and productivity. This positions Zoho as a full-stack “Swadeshi” enterprise alternative to Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace.
• Government Adoption: This claim gained significant attention following the news that India’s Union IT Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, had switched to Zoho’s productivity apps (like Zoho Show for presentations, in place of Microsoft PowerPoint) as part of the push to adopt indigenous products.
• Competitive Edge: Zoho’s business model is based on privacy and not monetizing user data through ads, which it presents as a key advantage over global tech giants. It is also often presented as a more cost-effective option for small and medium-sized businesses.

In summary, Zoho is challenging two major tech giants on two fronts: its messaging app Arattai briefly topped WhatsApp in the social networking app store charts due to a nationalist push, and the company’s full enterprise suite is claiming to be a superior, comprehensive alternative to Microsoft’s business offerings.