As a giant, Grab must act responsibly

WITH great power comes great responsibility. This quote from the Spider-Man comics thoroughly applies to Grab right now. On Monday, the Singapore-based ridehailing app turned consumer platform said that it would acquire the South-east Asian business of San Francisco-based rival Uber, taking over the latter's transport and food delivery operations. In turn, Uber will get a 27.5 per cent stake in Grab.

If the merger materialises, the enlarged Grab will become a true titan in the region, offering services that permeate almost every walk of life: transport, food delivery, courier, e-payments and even financial services.

Take transport. Grab's bumping off of a global player with much greater scale and deeper pockets is a feat unmatched by any other Singapore startup. But it has also been criticised for its potential monopolistic behaviour to the detriment of consumers and innovation. While Grab would disagree, this sentiment is understandable, given the startup's market share and current unprofitability.