WE ARE LIVING in a topsy-turvy world. All of a sudden, we find ourselves enveloped by a sense of mistrust. The urge to ring-fence ourselves from external vicissitudes is popping up at a faster interval. Blowing hot and blowing cold, Donald Trump has indeed redefined the global order. And, the nation-states are trying hard to figure out the way forward in an extremely volatile geopolitical environment. There are visible signs of new alliances on the horizon.
MESSAGING SOVEREIGNTY
Every country is looking for ways to safely secure its interests in the emerging geopolitical ecosystem. Against this backdrop, the launch of Arattai, an instant messaging and calling app, has unsurprisingly stirred excitement both in India and abroad. This desi app is the product of several hours of hard work put in by people at Sridhar Vembu-founded Zoho Corpo r a t ion. In very many ways, Sridhar Vembu has chosen to traverse a nationalist path. Be it his decision to house his office at Tenkasi in the southern district of Tamil Nadu or his penchant to wear a completely native attire. They all have made Sridhar Vembu an iconic role model. He is a perfect fit to advocate the Make in India cause.
POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS FUEL MOMENTUM
Arattai had a quiet arrival a few years ago. Reading against the emerging geo-political context, Arattai has gained considerable attraction with heavy-weight cabinet ministers in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government, endorsing the desi messaging app by switching over to Arattai. That an instant messaging app – a desi one, at that – is getting such an endorsement reflects the fast-changing times in which we live. Going forward, battles are won not on the battlefield. Rather, they are going to be fought in digital space. Not surprisingly, nations across the globe will do everything to secure their digital assets. If an invisible virus of a totally unusual kind, covid, threw the world into disarray early this decade, the Trump tariff-induced destabilisation of the international trading order has pushed countries to seriously practice protectionism.
NURTURING THE ECOSYSTEM
The setting is indeed perfect for Arattai to fulfil the desi dream. Will Arattai survive the long-haul test? After all, there were instances of desi instant messaging apps disappearing into the pages of history after showing huge promise and potential. One can debate this question until the cows come home. Zoho and Sridhar Vembu have a reputation and trust. Arattai has come in at the right time. What is required to convert this into a success story? If a desi instant messaging app has to survive the test of time and money, it surely requires a supporting ecosystem. The context suggests that the onus of putting in place an enabling ecosystem falls equally on the government. Make in India cannot just be a slogan. To make it a reality, stakeholders across the canvas should work in unison to realise the desi dream.
