Ride‑hailing platform inDrive, which lets passengers and drivers negotiate fares, announced a partnership with Chinese autonomous‑driving company Pony.ai and chipmaker Nvidia to launch robotaxi testing in Kazakhstan in 2027. The three firms signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to explore integrating Pony.ai’s self‑driving cars into inDrive’s app, highlighting growing global interest in autonomous mobility beyond the United States and China.
Testing is slated to begin in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital, during the first half of 2027, according to inDrive chief technology officer Yuri Misnik. Initial trials will include a safety operator on board, with the long‑term aim of offering fully driverless rides. Under the plan, Pony.ai will supply its Gen‑7 robotaxi fleet, which inDrive will make available through its ride‑hailing service. Nvidia will provide the artificial‑intelligence stack, including its Hyperion platform and Halos safety system.
The move follows a broader push by ride‑hailing firms into autonomous services. Earlier this month Uber said it would test Pony.ai’s robotaxis in London and has already begun supervised autonomous rides with British startup Wayve. Uber is also collaborating with several robotaxi providers in the Middle East.
InDrive, which built its brand on low‑cost rides, now seeks to apply a similar value proposition to autonomous transport. “Our approach is capital‑light by design,” Misnik said. “We work with a range of partners in different markets, combining their expertise with ours to deliver a better customer experience.”
Nvidia claims its Hyperion platform can reduce robotaxi development costs by offering a ready‑made suite of sensors and computing hardware, eliminating the need for companies to build and integrate these components from scratch. The firm also provides the Alpamayo model and tools for generating synthetic data to test autonomous systems across diverse scenarios. “Those savings are particularly relevant in emerging markets, where ride‑hailing is already relatively affordable and autonomous services need to compete on cost,” explained Ali Kani, Nvidia’s vice president of automotive.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made his first visit to Kazakhstan on Friday, coinciding with the announcement. The partnership aligns with Pony.ai’s expansion beyond China; the company aims to operate more than 3,500 robotaxis in over 20 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, up from a fleet of 1,975 vehicles in June.
Kazakhstan itself plans to roll out autonomous taxi services in 2027, with pilot programs slated for Astana and two additional cities. New regulations now permit autonomous vehicles to be tested on designated public roads. Astana’s severe winter conditions—months of snow and ice—are expected to provide a rigorous testing environment. “Launching here will provide an important opportunity to evaluate autonomous driving technology in challenging winter conditions,” said inDrive founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky. “Success in Astana could offer valuable insights for expanding autonomous mobility to other locations facing similar challenges.”
InDrive is also looking at other markets. In December, it signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s AI Driver to explore deploying autonomous vehicles powered by Chinese firm WeRide, starting in Riyadh, with a pilot originally targeted for the first half of 2026, though it is unclear whether testing has begun. “We are also looking at a number of other markets for future deployments,” Misnik added. “One of the main requisites for successful launch in our view is a favorable and collaborative regulatory environment to facilitate safe and sustainable testing on the roads.”
The company now operates in more than 1,200 cities across 47 countries and has diversified into delivery, intercity transport, and financial services.