Is it possible to create an Universal App?

 

Could a Cyber War Begin With a Ban on Social Media? A Thought You Shouldn’t Ignore

Have you ever imagined a cyber war?

If not, it’s time you do — because in a hyper-connected world, a cyber war has the potential to destabilize nations within days.

Recently, while going through my morning newspaper, I came across an interesting article titled “Why Arattai Isn’t WhatsApp” by Akshat Khandelwal, CEO of Nuflower. That sparked a bigger thought: What would happen if India decided to aggressively promote its own digital ecosystem and restrict foreign apps?

Arattai: India’s Homegrown Alternative

Arattai is a made-in-India messaging app developed by Zoho Corporation. It offers the features we expect today — personal and group chats, calls, encryption, media sharing, and story updates. Even a post by Amit Shah on X helped boost its visibility.

For a while, Arattai entered the top 100 apps on both Google Play and the Apple App Store — a major milestone for Swadesi tech. But later, it dropped from the rankings. Zoho’s CEO called it a normal business fluctuation, part of a long-term plan.

And that led me to a question…

How Is This Related to a Cyber War?

Think back to the recent unrest in Nepal during the Gen Z-led protests. One trigger was the government’s decision to ban multiple social media platforms.

Now imagine India taking a similar approach — not for censorship, but to promote Indian digital services globally.

People won’t shift to an Indian app unless the government bans the foreign alternative.

The TikTok ban proved this — users will only switch when forced.

But imagine a scenario where there is no strong replacement.
India is one of the world’s largest data markets. Apps like Gemini and ChatGPT give free access partly to optimize their models using massive Indian data — similar to Jio’s strategy in its early days.

If India bans foreign apps, global tech markets could face huge disruption. The reaction might even involve geopolitics or trade measures. It’s not impossible that leaders like Trump could impose tariffs on countries avoiding US apps and servers.The Core Problem: Compatibility and Network Effect

Unlike web browsers, messaging platforms cannot be switched easily.
Their value comes from the network.

If your friends, colleagues, or communities aren’t on the same app, the app becomes useless.

I experienced this in the US — everyone used Discord for community interactions. I had to download it just to stay connected.

Unless Indian apps achieve wide accessibility, cross-border compatibility, and strong ecosystem adoption, mass usage won’t happen.

What Could Be the Solution?

1. Build reliable and user-friendly Indian apps

2. Ensure government support

3. Strengthen the Make in India movement

But these are short-term fixes.
User preferences change constantly — today’s popular app can fade tomorrow.

Which means we need something bigger: innovation.

A Bold Idea: One App, Multiple Identities

Imagine a single universal platform that behaves like:

• Arattai in India

• WhatsApp in the US

• Discord in the UK

All running on one cloud system — the interface and features change based on region.

A global messaging engine.
One World, One App.

It may sound futuristic, but every major innovation once sounded impossible.

Is a Cyber War Possible?

Maybe.
Or maybe it has already started silently.

As everything moves online — communication, payments, identity, governance — the digital world is becoming the new battlefield.

Technology should uplift humanity, not endanger it.
Our growth must be better than yesterday, without compromising tomorrow.

Whatever harms people, stability, or freedom is simply not acceptable