More than a promise: A 35-year legacy of innovation in India

At Rappit, our promise is bold: we make your enterprise software future-ready, allowing you to outperform your peers. As the General Manager of Rappit India, I see this as more than just a marketing statement. For me, it’s a personal and professional legacy that I’ve had the privilege to help build—a story of brave decisions, deep-rooted trust, and a 35-year journey of innovation that I’m proud to share from my perspective.

A foundation of foresight and brave decisions

The story of our presence in India begins long before my time, but it’s one that inspires my leadership every day. While trade between India and the Netherlands is centuries old, our chapter starts in the 1980s—a time when India’s economy was not yet open to the world, and it was not known for its software industry. It’s hard to imagine now, but our founder, Jan Baan of Baan Company, saw potential where others saw uncertainty.

During a visit in 1986, he recognized India as a future powerhouse of talent. Instead of waiting, he chose to act, establishing a subsidiary in Mumbai in 1989. This pioneering spirit was carried forward by Vanenburg Group, which made another unconventional choice: Hyderabad. At a time when Bangalore was the obvious destination for every tech company, our leaders chose a different path, driven by a deep, on-the-ground understanding of the region.

I feel a great sense of pride knowing that Vanenburg Group built the very first private IT park in Hyderabad, a landmark that helped ignite the city’s tech boom. Seeing global players like Google now following a path we helped pave is a powerful reminder of our heritage.

This foresight continued in 2007, when our group company Cordys made another unique decision: expanding to Coimbatore. We chose it over established hubs like Cochin and Chennai based on a deep understanding of the city’s metrics—from the incredible talent pool coming out of local engineering colleges to the cultural alignment with our existing employees. It’s validating to see that now, in 2025, other major IT giants are establishing development centers in Coimbatore, seeking the same benefits of work-life balance and proximity to employees’ hometowns.

Our journey in Coimbatore started as a small operation at KCT Tech Park, developing a cloud-based platform. Today, Rappit India has grown into a state-of-the-art, 32,000 sq ft office in India Land Tech Park. I’m especially proud of this new space; it has 35% open space for collaboration and facilities dedicated to wellness, recreation, and even daycare for our women employees. Our team here has grown to over 270 full-time employees, and we are growing faster than ever.

This growth story is built on Vanenburg Group’s unwavering trust in Indian talent. From the beginning, India has been our powerhouse of innovation, and I’m incredibly proud that all our world-class products—from Baan and Cordys to Rappit today—are made right here in India.

Our culture: The heart of our success

More than just strategic locations, our success is built on a unique culture I’ve been fortunate to help cultivate. We call it our “Baan Culture,” founded on the pillars of Innovation, Integrity, and Insight. This isn’t just a poster on the wall; it’s the lived experience of our team, and it’s the reason I see so many familiar faces in our halls year after year.

A legacy of trust and ownership

It gives me immense pride that our attrition rate is less than 8%, while the industry average is in the double digits. When I speak with my professional colleagues, I often hear how high attrition affects their business with missed delivery deadlines, reactive recruitment, and constant pressure on project margins. I’m proud to say that at Rappit, we aren’t used to these problems. This stability provides a continuity of knowledge and a collective wisdom that is rare in our industry, which directly translates into reliable, expert delivery for our customers.

I believe this is a direct result of our core principle: trust. I’m particularly proud of the fact that in our 35+ years in India, we have never deputed an expat to lead the operations. Our leadership has always been homegrown, including my own role. This demonstrates a profound belief in our local talent.

This trust is woven into our daily operations. We practice a “Servant Leadership” model where managers are mentors, not monitors, and we’ve operated with a flat hierarchy since 1990. I always encourage my team with Jan Baan’s simple mantra: “Don’t wait for permission; ask for forgiveness.” This empowers them to take initiative and innovate without fear.

This mutual respect is so ingrained that everyone, regardless of their position, is called by their first name from day one, fostering friendships and open communication. For over 15 years, I’ve seen our Chairman, Jan Baan, personally meet every new joiner to instill this value system—a testament to how deeply it runs.

Building our team: A rigorous and nurturing approach

Our culture begins with who we hire. Our recruitment process is a structured, time-tested practice designed to find not just skills, but the right mindset. The Chairman of Rappit meets every new joiner on his visit to India and ensures senior leaders and managers are following this belief system without fail, for the past 15 years.

• Round 1: We test for aptitude and logical reasoning.
• Round 2: We assess programming abilities with unique problem statements.
• Round 3: We focus on personality, cultural fit, and the ability to learn and unlearn.

We meet thousands of candidates each year for just 30 to 40 positions because we are committed to finding the right people. The selected candidates then join a six-month paid internship. In this program, they’re trained on industry best practices while delivering a project on a real-time business problem using the Rappit platform. It’s incredibly rewarding to see them emerge production-ready and fully integrated into our culture.

A thriving community, beyond the desk

For me, fostering a great workplace goes beyond professional development. Our employee-led club, Euphoria, organizes a vibrant calendar of sports tournaments—like cricket, football, and badminton—and cultural events to celebrate festivals like Onam, Diwali, and Christmas. The club also ensures a portion of its funds is donated to a child’s education or a needy individual’s surgery each year, reflecting our commitment to social responsibility.

This sense of community is strengthened by quarterly team outings and annual company trips, from local BBQs in Coimbatore to team getaways in Goa. It also extends globally. We have seen several of our long-serving Indian colleagues opt for relocation to the Netherlands, some even becoming Dutch nationals. This cross-pollination of talent strengthens the collaboration between our teams worldwide.

Investing in our people’s growth and well-being

Continuous learning is not just a phrase here; it’s a practice. It’s common to see employees who are 2X or 4X Google Cloud certified through company-identified training. We also actively foster leadership and communication skills through our Rappit Toastmasters Club. I’m proud that we sponsor interested employees and hold meetings during business hours as part of our core learning initiatives.

Finally, we ensure our team and their families feel secure. Our extensive medical insurance includes coverage for dependent parents, and our term life and personal accident insurance policies provide peace of mind. It’s this holistic approach to well-being that creates a supportive environment where people can build long-term careers.

Your partner for a future-ready enterprise

Our 35-year journey in India—from Baan Company to Cordys and now Rappit—has forged a unique heritage of stability, rigorous talent development, and direct global collaboration. All of our world-class products are proudly made in India, a testament to the innovation powerhouse we’ve built here.

From my perspective leading this incredible team, our history is the foundation of our promise to you. If you’re looking for a partner with deep technology expertise and a stable, dedicated team to accelerate your business goals, you’ve found one.

We will make your enterprise software future-ready, so you can outperform your peers. It’s a commitment backed by three and a half decades of getting it right.