Ride hailing company inDrive is working with Chinese autonomous driving developer Pony.ai and technology company Nvidia to explore launching robotaxi services in Kazakhstan in 2027.

The companies announced on Friday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding to investigate integrating Pony.ai’s autonomous vehicles into the inDrive platform.

Testing is expected to begin in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital, during the first half of 2027.

According to inDrive chief technology officer Yuri Misnik, the initial trials will involve safety operators, with the longer term objective of introducing fully driverless rides.

Under the proposed arrangement, Pony.ai will provide its seventh generation robotaxis, while inDrive will make the vehicles available through its ride hailing application and oversee their operation in Kazakhstan.

Nvidia will contribute artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technology through its Hyperion platform and Halos safety system.

Nvidia says its technology can reduce the cost and complexity of developing robotaxis by providing a foundation of sensors, computing systems and software tools.

The company also offers technology for generating synthetic data and testing autonomous vehicles under different driving conditions.

The initiative comes as ride hailing companies increasingly explore autonomous transportation beyond established markets in the United States and China.

Uber recently announced plans to test Pony.ai robotaxis in London and has also begun offering supervised autonomous rides with British startup Wayve.

InDrive, which operates a business model that allows passengers and drivers to negotiate fares, hopes to maintain its emphasis on affordability as it explores autonomous services.

Misnik said the company’s strategy relies on working with established partners rather than investing heavily in every part of the technology itself.
Kazakhstan could provide a challenging environment for testing autonomous vehicles because of its severe winter weather.

Astana, which has a population of approximately 1.7 million, experiences extended periods of snow and ice that can complicate navigation and vehicle safety.

Kazakhstan has announced plans to introduce autonomous taxi services in 2027, with initial trials planned in Astana and two other cities, and has established rules allowing autonomous vehicles to be tested on designated public roads.

InDrive founder and chief executive Arsen Tomsky said testing in the country could help evaluate how autonomous driving technology performs under difficult winter conditions and provide lessons for other regions with similar climates.

The partnership also supports Pony.ai’s broader international expansion.

The company aims to operate more than 3,500 robotaxis across over 20 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, compared with a fleet of 1,975 vehicles at the end of June.

InDrive is also exploring autonomous transportation opportunities in Saudi Arabia through a separate agreement with AI Driver, which involves the potential deployment of vehicles powered by Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide.

InDrive operates in more than 1,200 cities across 47 countries and has expanded beyond passenger transportation into delivery, intercity travel and financial services.

Source: TechCrunch