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In focus
- How Singapore’s largest taxi company plans to fend off GrabCabs
- Revisit this visual map of Grab and GoTo’s competitors in Southeast Asia
- ChatGPT Go drops in 16 Asian nations
Hello reader,
I stopped taking regular taxis ever since Uber and Grab drove into Manila about a decade ago. But that changed when GSM, the Vietnam-based operator of electric taxis, entered Manila in June. I’ve used its app almost every week to book rides as it’s cheaper than market leader Grab.
A new entrant going up against a bigger player in the ride-hailing space has become a common story in Southeast Asia. But in Singapore, it’s Grab that is taking on the incumbent of taxi operations: ComfortDelGro.
Unlike traditional cab companies, ComfortDelGro has an app. It also has presence in the UK, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China, where it operates a few hundred autonomous robotaxis in Guangzhou. Given its vast experience in the industry, the company isn’t too worried about GrabCab.
While Grab is going back to its roots by launching its own taxi service to compete with ComfortDelGro, the latter is looking into how its competitors have penetrated various markets to succeed in its expansion goals.
Speaking of expansion, OpenAI also just launched ChatGPT Go in 16 Asian countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines. The deal allows some users in the region to subscribe to GPT-5 for as low as US$4 a month – a bargain compared to the US$20 price tag Americans pay for their Plus accounts.
Another Asian country that snagged a deal this week? The United Arab Emirates. The US finally gave Nvidia the go signal to export its prized chips to the UAE. While the value of the deal was undisclosed, what’s known is that the UAE would have an equal amount of investment to the US, too.
Seems like this week is all about big players making big moves.
Elyssa Lopez, journalist
Top Story
ComfortDelGro’s quiet tech play and why it’s not sweating GrabCab
Image credit: Arsal Ysfin
In 2024, ComfortDelGro recorded US$3.5 billion in revenue across its various businesses, with its Singapore unit making the biggest contribution. However, the taxi operator now sees growth beyond the country.
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