inDrive, the ride-hailing company known for its fare-negotiation model between passengers and drivers, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai and Nvidia to begin testing robotaxis in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, in the first half of 2027.
Timeline and test setup
According to inDrive CTO Yuri Misnik, testing will start in Astana during H1 2027. Early trials will include a safety operator on board, with the long-term objective of achieving fully driverless rides.
Roles and technology
Under the proposed plan, Pony.ai would provide its Gen-7 robotaxi vehicles, which inDrive would offer and operate via its ride-hailing app in Kazakhstan. Nvidia will supply AI and sensing technologies, notably its Hyperion platform and the Halos safety system. Nvidia also offers the Alpamayo model and tools to generate synthetic data and test autonomous driving systems across varied driving scenarios.
Why this matters
The collaboration signals growing interest in deploying robotaxis beyond the U.S. and China. Nvidia says its Hyperion platform can reduce the cost of developing robotaxis by providing an off-the-shelf foundation of sensors and compute, rather than requiring each company to build and integrate every component themselves. Ali Kani, Nvidia’s vice president of automotive, told TechCrunch that such cost savings are particularly relevant in emerging markets where autonomous services must compete on price.
Strategic context and expansion plans
The announcement coincided with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s first visit to Kazakhstan. For Pony.ai, the Kazakhstan plan supports its broader international push: the company aims to operate more than 3,500 robotaxis across over 20 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, up from a fleet of 1,975 vehicles at the end of June.
Kazakhstan itself has previously announced plans to launch autonomous taxi services in 2027, with initial trials in Astana and two other cities, and has introduced rules permitting tests of autonomous vehicles on certain public roads.
Local challenges and inDrive’s approach
Astana’s harsh winters — the city of roughly 1.7 million experiences months of snow and ice — make it a demanding environment for autonomous driving systems and a useful testing ground. Arsen Tomsky, inDrive’s founder and CEO, said launching tests in Astana will provide important data on performance in difficult winter conditions and could inform expansion to other locations with similar climates.
inDrive describes its strategy as capital-light and partner-driven. Misnik said the company collaborates with local and global partners to combine expertise and deliver improved customer experiences.
Other markets and regulatory conditions
inDrive is also pursuing robotaxi opportunities elsewhere. In December the company signed a separate agreement with Saudi Arabia’s AI Driver to explore deploying autonomous vehicles using technology from Chinese firm WeRide, starting with Riyadh; the partners had targeted a pilot in the first half of 2026, though it is unclear whether testing has begun.
Misnik emphasized that a favorable, collaborative regulatory environment is a key prerequisite for safe, sustainable road testing.
inDrive’s footprint
inDrive operates in more than 1,200 cities across 47 countries and has diversified beyond ride-hailing into delivery, intercity transportation and financial services. The Astana project forms part of its efforts to introduce affordable autonomous ride-hailing in markets where competitors like Uber are also active.
