RSS bids goodbye to WhatsApp, picks desi Arattai for messaging

The swadeshi wave is fast catching up with the ruling saffron brotherhood. After Union Ministers Amit Shah, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Dharmendra Pradhan announced their switch to the indigenous office platform Zoho, moving away from US tech giant Microsoft, the RSS too has now migrated to a local platform.

The ruling party’s ideological mentor on Sunday said it was switching to Arattai, the Indian messaging app for all official and practical purposes.

“RSS Delhi has started exchanging messages and announcements on Arattai. You are requested to join Arattai to stay connected,” a message from RSS communications wing said today.

This implies the RSS will gradually wean off WhatsApp for formal communications.

The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on digital sovereignty. The PM has directed all official machinery to use local platforms for work as far as possible.

Arattai is Zoho’s messaging app

Arattai is a messaging service developed by Chennai-based Indian tech giant Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu. The word “Arattai” means “casual talk” or “chit-chat” in Tamil, reflecting its aim of offering a simple, homegrown way to connect. The app started October with 2.6 million installs and gained nearly 8 million new downloads within a week.

In his 79th Independence Day address, PM Modi called for digital sovereignty and urged researchers to develop indigenous platforms.

He called on the youth to develop India’s own social media platforms and digital infrastructure, ensuring communication, data and technological ecosystems remain secure and independent, reinforcing India’s digital autonomy.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has also echoed PM’s self-reliance push.

Neighbouring China has built its own digital ecosystem — from search engines to messaging platforms — achieving a high degree of digital sovereignty.

Conversely, Indians depend hugely on American digital platforms.

Latest data shows that Google’s search engine has around 400 million (40 crore) daily users in India, with the country registering over 12 billion monthly visits to Google Search — making it the second-largest market after the US.

India also has the world’s largest number of WhatsApp users, estimated between 537 million and 853.8 million monthly active users as of 2025, depending on the source. Statistics indicate that WhatsApp reaches nearly 92 per cent of all Internet users in India.