How did the idea for an instant messaging app first emerge within Zoho?

The initial seed was planted back in 2006 with our B2B offering Zoho Cliq (initially launched as Zoho Chat). Running up to 2021, it was a two-pronged objective — first, a curiosity to build a messaging platform for B2C users, and second, a desire to build from India, to meet our unique needs such as linguistic diversity, access barriers to technology. That said, B2B is a completely different ballgame From scalability to security, we wanted to do this the Zoho way — of learning by experimenting. 

In what ways has the product been refined since its Beta launch in 2021? 

A lot has been happening since our beta launch. Initially, it was a basic version addressing local data control. Since then, there have been numerous upgrades — from minor UX changes, to nuanced, major back-end enhancements. For instance, we also have a web app now, plus we have increased capacity of channels etc. 

How large is the team working on Arattai? How are you dealing with the traffic surge? 

Given that we share the Zoho ecosystem, the team’s number is generally dynamic and has been that way since the last four years, given the company’s decentralised approach to innovation. While it came as a surprise, we are trying to meet the demand on the product and infrastructure level as much as possible. It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation currently, and we are getting support from across the company — from leadership, QA teams, developers and others. We have also increased our infrastructure capabilities to manage the surge. 

Is the app end-to-end encrypted?  

We are currently working on end-to-end encryption. It’s our top priority. Right now, all the data is encrypted at transit and rest. We have already rolled out end-to-end encryption for 1-1 calls (voice and video), which means the data in the call are device-to-device encrypted. We are also working on other features ranging from simple ones like polls and complex solutions like UPI integration. 

What AI features, including Zia LLM leveraging, will Arattai have?

Given that Zia LLM is purely for B2B use-cases we might not have immediate plans. However, we are exploring how we can enhance the uses and app experience for customers, with AI. 

Do you think Arattai can match the lead of WhatsApp in India? 

We believe if a product has value for the customer, then users will always be open to adopting. Our aim should be to have a best-in-class product, and competition is always healthy to help businesses strive and innovate. 

What is the Arattai roadmap and strategy from here on? Will we see a name change?

We are focusing on making Arattai more secure, and gain users trust by being reliable. We will not change the name. Many global brands from different countries that have names in other languages are now household names. We hope the same for Arattai. What better name for an instant messaging app than ‘chit-chat’?

Where do you stand on data privacy, especially on the concept of back-door entries for the government? 

Data safety and privacy is a priority, and we want the user to have full control of their data while being mindful of the IT rules and regulations of the country. We will never sell their data to any third-party, nor will we ever have an ad-based model. More than just being a patriotic company, we want to be known for our product capabilities and our R&D-focused growth.