**Where Does Zoho Keep Indian Users’ Data? Sridhar Vembu Responds**
*By Mudit Dube | Sep 30, 2025*
Sridhar Vembu, the founder and Chief Scientist of Zoho Corporation, has clarified that all Indian customer data is stored within India. His statement comes amid a surge in downloads of Arattai, Zoho’s homegrown messaging app, which has recently climbed to the top of Apple’s App Store and is rapidly approaching the top 100 on Google Play Store after previously being outside the top 500.
### Arattai’s Rising Popularity Bolstered by Government Endorsements
The surge in Arattai’s popularity has been further boosted by endorsements from Indian government officials. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently endorsed the app on social media, while IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw promoted Zoho’s suite of productivity products. These endorsements have contributed to renewed consumer interest in Arattai, which was launched by Zoho in 2021 as a competitor to WhatsApp.
### Data Security and Product Development in India
Addressing concerns over product development and data hosting, Sridhar Vembu emphasized that all Zoho products are developed in India, with the company’s global headquarters located in Chennai. “We pay taxes in India on our global income,” he stated, countering misinformation circulating about the company.
### Infrastructure Ownership and Data Centers in India
Vembu underlined that all Indian user data is hosted within India at Zoho-owned data centers located in Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai. He also announced that a new data center is being established in Odisha to further strengthen infrastructure.
Globally, Zoho operates 18 data centers, each designed to handle data within its respective jurisdiction. “We are committed to hosting each country’s data within its own jurisdiction,” Vembu wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
### Clarification on Cloud Hosting and Use of Public Cloud Platforms
Vembu clarified that Zoho’s services, including Arattai, run on hardware owned by the company and use software frameworks developed on top of open-source technologies such as Linux and PostgreSQL. Zoho does not use public cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud for hosting its services. However, some public cloud platforms are utilized for regional traffic switching to enhance speed — without storing any customer data.
### Managing Exponential User Growth
Arattai’s daily sign-ups have surged dramatically, rising from 3,000 to 350,000 in just three days — a nearly 100-fold increase. Vembu revealed that Zoho’s teams are working around the clock to scale infrastructure and address technical issues caused by this sudden spike.
“We are adding infrastructure on an emergency basis for another potential 100x peak surge. That is how exponentials work,” he wrote on X.
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Zoho’s commitment to data sovereignty, infrastructure ownership, and local development underscores its dedication to serving Indian users with reliable and secure products — especially as consumer interest in its messaging app Arattai continues to soar.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/zoho-ensures-user-data-remains-in-india-arattai-gains-popularity/story
