inDrive, Pony.ai and Nvidia have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore testing robotaxis in Kazakhstan, with supervised trials planned for Astana and two other cities in the first half of 2027. The inDrive robotaxi Kazakhstan plan is exploratory rather than a binding deployment, and the companies have not disclosed how many vehicles will be involved or the financial terms of the arrangement.
Who does what
Under the proposed arrangement, Pony.ai would supply its Gen-7 robotaxis. inDrive would offer rides through its app and handle operations in Kazakhstan. Nvidia would contribute AI technology, including its Hyperion platform and Halos safety system. Hyperion bundles sensors and a computing foundation, while Halos is a safety system. Nvidia also offers the Alpamayo model and synthetic data tools for testing.
The division of labor reflects inDrive’s stated preference for a capital-light, partner-based model. The company’s CTO, Yuri Misnik, has described the approach as capital-light and noted that inDrive is looking at other markets as well. He also said favorable regulation is a main requisite for such projects.
Testing begins with a safety operator
The initial trials in Kazakhstan will include a safety operator in the vehicle. Fully driverless rides are the eventual goal, but no timeline has been given for reaching that stage. The tests are planned for Astana and two other cities, according to the brief. Kazakhstan has already introduced rules for autonomous vehicle testing on certain public roads and has announced plans for autonomous taxi services in 2027.
Astana presents a deliberate challenge. The city has roughly 1.7 million residents and harsh winters with months of snow and ice. inDrive founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky said the launch will evaluate the technology in winter conditions. He added that success in Astana could inform expansion to similar locations.
A broader push beyond China and the U.S.
The Kazakhstan plan is part of a wider interest in self-driving technology outside the U.S. and China, and ride-hailing companies are increasingly expanding into robotaxis. Pony.ai, which is pushing beyond China, aims to have more than 3,500 robotaxis in over 20 cities by the end of 2026. At the end of June, its fleet stood at 1,975 vehicles.
Uber has announced plans to test Pony.ai robotaxis in London earlier this month and has started supervised autonomous rides with Wayve in London. Uber also works with multiple robotaxi companies in other markets, including the Middle East.
inDrive, which operates in more than 1,200 cities across 47 countries, has expanded into delivery, intercity transportation and financial services. In December, it signed a separate agreement with Saudi Arabia’s AI Driver to explore deploying autonomous vehicles powered by WeRide, starting in Riyadh. Those companies targeted a pilot in the first half of 2026. It is unclear whether that testing has begun.
Cost and the emerging-market case
Nvidia says Hyperion could lower robotaxi development costs. Ali Kani, Nvidia’s VP of automotive, said savings matter in emerging markets where ride-hailing is affordable and that autonomous services need to compete on cost. Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s CEO, visited Kazakhstan on Friday, the same day the MOU was announced.
What remains open includes whether the MOU will lead to a binding deployment, the number of vehicles planned for Astana testing, the regulatory approvals needed, and the exact start date within the first half of 2027. The performance metrics for the Astana tests have also not been specified.
