Ride-Hailing Firm Grab Plans Major Investment In Vietnam - Top Executive

Singapore-based ride-hailing firm Grab is set to invest "several hundred million dollars" in Vietnam where the company sees its next major growth market, just weeks after it unveiled a $2 billion plan in Indonesia.

The proposed investment is the latest example of a top-notch regional brand deepening its commitment to Vietnam, one of Asia's fastest growing economies. It also shows the eagerness of Grab, which has raised billions of dollars from investors, to put its cash to work.

"We're very excited about Vietnam. We see very similar characteristics to Indonesia," Grab President Ming Maa told Reuters in an interview.

Grab and rival Indonesia-based Go-Jek are evolving from ride-hailing app operators to become one-stop shops for services as varied as payments, food delivery, logistics and hotel bookings in Southeast Asia.

Grab, with its app on more than 160 million mobile devices across eight countries, has said its Indonesia investment aims to build a next-generation transport network and transform how critical services such as healthcare are delivered.

Like Indonesia, many middle class and young consumers in Vietnam are using apps and websites to access services, Maa said.

"I would expect us to invest over several hundred million dollars into growing our Vietnam business," he said without giving specific details on the investment.

Vietnam ranks third or fourth among Grab's top markets, said Maa, who joined the company three years ago from its major investor, Japan's Softbank Group Corp, and a previous decade-long stint at investment bank Goldman Sachs.