There’s no place like Grab

Srinivas Chamarthy, our Head of Engineering at Grab Bangalore, explains why it’s the people and the culture as much as the work, that makes Grab such an exciting place to be.

There’s something unique about us here in Grab Bangalore, and really about the whole Grab organisation. To the outside world we’re an established tech company, but when you walk inside our doors you just get the feeling of a scrappy start-up – in a good way! It’s a belief we all have – a sense of what I’d call family. We know we’re in it together, so we rely on and trust each other to deliver. It’s quite a feeling.

I’m an engineer at heart, but as the site lead I feel responsible for everyone that works here – and that means making sure that everyone is happy and their needs are heard. Now that can mean anything from providing table tennis tables or PS5s, to knowing exactly how everyone is getting on from day to day.

We have four principles that shape our work at Grab – Heart, Hunger, Honour and Humility. They’re not just words that look good on a wall – they’re at the centre of everything we do. 

The reason I came to work for Grab was the ‘Heart’. I was so impressed by the way people at Grab talked about what they did. Not in terms of profit margins or growth – but in terms of people, and how we can help them make the most of their lives. For our partners that meant understanding what they need, what’s going to make their lives better, what’s going to help their businesses thrive and for our employees that meant making sure their work life doesn’t dominate their home life.

I very quickly thought “Wow, this is the kind of culture that can really make a difference, this is the kind of place you’d like to be a part of!”. Turns out I was right!

At its heart Grab emphasises on having empathy – we’re all about making an impact, yes, but it’s more about making the right kind of impact. It’s about finding those opportunities to make a difference and then using our talent, our intelligence and our drive to turn those opportunities into realities for the people that need them most.

That’s hard work. 

But it’s rewarding work. And, with empathy at the heart of it all, it means we always have to maintain contact with what’s important to each of us. Whether that’s spending time with friends and family, playing badminton or even drawing cartoon characters (don’t ask!). Grounding ourselves in life beyond the walls of Grab helps make what we do within them all the more meaningful.

It’s not a bad life to be living!

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