“There's nothing going wrong. I think, first of all, the idea that something went wrong is what is wrong. It is a normal course of events. Nothing goes straight to the moon. You have to go through these ups and downs,” Vembu was quoted as saying.
He emphasised that companies that survive maintain a long-term perspective.
“The trick to companies that survive is they have a long-term view on this. In fact, I never thought The number one is anything big. In fact, I literally told our employees, this is a particular moment, it won't last,” he added.
“That's why I simply don't pay attention. And the people who pay attention and making fun of this, they are wasting their time. That's all I'll say. We are not wasting time. I am sitting and we are sitting and focused on code. So I said, don't worry about it,” Vembu noted, pointing out that Zoho views Arattai as a five to 15-year project rather than a short-term venture.
Vembu: Zoho has long-term strategy
Vembu revealed that Zoho has worked on messaging technology for 10 years, making the recent ranking drop insignificant.
“Our strategy in all this, the messaging is very core. And we have been working on it for 10 years. So this one month is nothing for us. We will continue this and we have a really strong app. It's getting stronger,” the cofounder was quoted as saying.
The company plans frequent updates to improve Arattai. Vembu argued that credible competition is necessary to prevent monopolistic practices in the messaging app market.
“If we don't have competition, you can't keep the monopolist honest. The only thing that keeps a monopolist honest is competition,” he said.
While talking about end-to-end encryption of chats on Arattai, Vembu noted that the encryption feature has been implemented, however, it will take some more time for the updates to take effect.
# Zoho's Arattai Takes a Tumble: Sridhar Vembu's Calm Take on Dropping from the Top 100 – And Why It's No Big Deal
In the cutthroat arena of app stores, where one viral moment can catapult you to stardom and a quiet week can send you tumbling into obscurity, Zoho's homegrown messaging app Arattai just learned that lesson the hard way. Launched with fanfare as India's answer to WhatsApp – privacy-focused, ad-free, and built for the long haul – Arattai briefly climbed into the top 100 apps on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. But as quickly as it rose, it slipped out, sparking memes, mockery, and a flurry of "what went wrong?" headlines. Enter Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu, who shrugged it off with the unflappable wisdom that's made him a tech icon: "I literally told our employees, this is a particular moment, it won’t last."
If you're chasing quick wins in the startup world, Vembu's response is a masterclass in perspective. Let's unpack the story, the slip, and the sage advice that's keeping Zoho's ship steady.
## The Rise and (Temporary) Fall of Arattai: A Quick Recap
Arattai isn't just another chat app; it's Zoho's bold bet on sovereign, secure communication in an era dominated by global giants like Meta's WhatsApp. Rolled out earlier this year, it promised end-to-end encryption (with device-based backups on the horizon), no data mining for ads, and seamless integration with Zoho's ecosystem for businesses and consumers alike. Vembu himself has been hands-on, crowdsourcing feedback on X (formerly Twitter) about features like group chat encryption and even how to pronounce "Arattai" in regional languages – a nod to its Tamil roots meaning "close friend" or "buddy."
The app's meteoric rise was fueled by patriotic buzz and Zoho's reputation for bootstrapped innovation. It cracked the top 100, rubbing digital shoulders with the likes of Instagram and YouTube. But by early November 2025, it had dipped out – a classic app store volatility play, where rankings ebb and flow with downloads, updates, and algorithm whims. Rivals like WhatsApp, meanwhile, continue to soar, underscoring the fierce competition in India's 1.4 billion-strong market.
Social media lit up with jabs – from "Arattai who?" quips to speculation about technical glitches or marketing missteps. But Vembu? He wasn't sweating it.
## Vembu's Mantra: "Nothing Goes Straight to the Moon"
In a candid interview with ANI, the Zoho CEO dismantled the drama with characteristic candor. "There’s nothing going wrong," he said flatly. "I think, first of all, the idea that something went wrong is what is wrong. It is a normal course of events. Nothing goes straight to the moon. You have to go through these ups and downs."
He doubled down on his long-term ethos: "I really don’t care to operate in a pure hype environment. We are here to produce really long-term technology." For Vembu, who's steered Zoho to $1 billion+ in revenue without a dime of VC funding, app rankings are fleeting metrics. The real game? Building tech that lasts 15 years, not 15 days.
And that line about the employees? It's pure leadership gold. By preemptively framing the peak as ephemeral, Vembu shielded his team from the hype-depression cycle that plagues so many startups. No panic meetings, no blame games – just steady progress on features like system-wide E2EE defaults and cloud backups that respect privacy. As he put it on X recently, "we are in this for the long haul. We won't give up."
## Why This Matters: Beyond the Buzz, a Blueprint for Builders
Arattai's dip isn't a Zoho exclusive – it's the reality of tech innovation. Remember how Instagram Stories copied Snapchat and surged ahead? Or how TikTok ate Vine's lunch? Volatility is the price of entry. But Vembu's approach flips the script:
1. **Embrace the Zigzag**: Metrics like app rankings are vanity plays. Focus on user retention, feature depth, and ecosystem lock-in. Arattai's tying into Zoho Pay for seamless fintech integration? That's sticky value.
2. **Culture Over Charts**: Telling your team "this won't last" isn't defeatist – it's realistic. It fosters resilience. Vembu, a vocal critic of layoffs, ties this to mutual loyalty: Companies thrive when employees feel committed, not commoditized.
3. **Privacy as the North Star**: In a world where "free" apps monetize your data, Arattai's ad-free, no-tracking stance is a rebellion. Vembu distinguishes between "secret lovers" (personal privacy) and "secret rebels" (government compliance), urging nuance over absolutism. It's why Zoho pulls 90% of its revenue from global markets – trust travels.
For Indian founders especially, this is a rallying cry. As Vembu advocates, opening ecosystems to homegrown apps isn't charity; it's economic muscle-building. "If we open up existing ecosystems for a lot of apps to play, that itself is a valuable service."
## The Road Ahead: Arattai 2.0 and Zoho's Unstoppable Grind
Don't count Arattai out. With updates rolling (E2EE for groups incoming) and Vembu's X feed buzzing with user tweaks – from notification fixes to contact syncs – it's evolving fast. Zoho's not chasing virality; they're crafting infrastructure. And in a market where WhatsApp's dominance feels like a monopoly, that's the disruptor's edge.
Sridhar Vembu isn't just building apps; he's building a mindset. As he told the doubters: People mocking the drop? "They're wasting their time." Spot on.
What's your take – hype or horizon? Have you tried Arattai? Share in the comments. And if you're a founder navigating your own "ups and downs," remember: The moon's worth the detours.
*Sources: India Today (Nov 13, 2025), Economic Times (Nov 12, 2025), NDTV (Nov 12, 2025), X posts by @svembu*
