Built entirely in India, Arattai positions itself as a homegrown alternative to WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal, supporting 10 Indian languages | Photo Credit: businessline

Arattai, the instant messaging and VoIP calling app from SaaS major Zoho, has announced the introduction of an Aadhaar-enabled identity verification layer on its platform.

With the new optional feature, users can now block unsolicited spam by choosing to receive messages only from verified accounts.

The integration will enable Arattai to use Aadhaar for identity verification, mitigating potential identity spoofing and digital impersonation attempts. Users can avail the feature across mobile (iOS and Android) and desktop (Windows and).

The company has stated that the platform will not store any Aadhaar details of the user.

“The consumer messaging landscape faces a severe crisis of trust, driven by sophisticated impersonation and digital fraud that compromises daily interactions for users. By introducing an optional Aadhaar verification layer, we are delivering a reliable space without adding unnecessary friction to the user experience.,” said Jeri John, Global Product Head, Arattai.

Launch comes amid focus on messaging platform security

The launch from Arattai comes at a time when Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has been in the crosshairs of the Indian government after it announced the introduction of usernames across its platform.

Launched in 2021, Arattai has been built entirely in India and aims to position itself as an Indian-origin alternative to global messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.

The platform supports 10 Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, etc. According to Zoho, Arattai has been developed on Zoho’s full-stack infrastructure, ensuring that individual chats, files and personal connections stay strictly within a highly secure local data ecosystem.

Privacy-focused features expanded

Beyond Aadhaar verification, the messaging platform has also rolled out a slew of privacy-forward and security-first features, including End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) for individual messages and broadcasts, alongside a secure Encrypted Chat Backup option for Google Drive and iCloud.

The features also include the ability to hide phone numbers when joining public groups, utilise virtual waiting rooms to schedule meetings, and explicitly authorise who can enter securely.

Published on July 29, 2026