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Astana robotaxis: inDrive, Pony.ai and NVIDIA plan self-driving tests in Kazakhstan
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Astana robotaxis: inDrive, Pony.ai and NVIDIA plan self-driving tests in Kazakhstan

The three companies signed a memorandum of understanding to test Pony.ai robotaxis in Astana, Kazakhstan, with first tests planned for 2027.

Ammar Rahimi · 26 October 2026 · 3 min read

On October 23, 2026, ride-hailing platform inDrive announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pony.ai and NVIDIA to explore robotaxi services in Kazakhstan. Astana, the country's capital, will be the first test market. It is a notable step for self-driving technology outside the United States and China.

1. What was announced

The three companies signed an MOU to assess the technical, operational, regulatory and commercial feasibility of offering level 4-ready autonomous vehicles through the inDrive app. Pony.ai would supply its seventh-generation (Gen-7) robotaxis, inDrive would provide the platform and run the service, and NVIDIA would support the project with AI infrastructure including its Hyperion platform and Halos safety system.

A launch in Astana is subject to an agreement with the government of Kazakhstan. The joint statement does not name a launch date, investment amount or fleet size. However, inDrive CTO Yuri Misnik told TechCrunch that testing is expected to begin in the first half of 2027, with a safety operator in the car during the early phase.

2. Why Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan was chosen because it has just created its first structured legal framework for driverless transport, part of the country's "Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence". Last month Kazakhstan announced plans to launch autonomous taxi services in 2027, with initial trials in Astana and two other cities.

Astana is also a hard climate test. The city of roughly 1.7 million people faces months of snow and ice each winter. inDrive founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky said success in Astana could offer valuable insights for expanding autonomous mobility to other locations with similar challenges.

3. How it fits the global robotaxi race

The move lands as ride-hailing companies partner with self-driving firms across markets. Last month Uber announced plans to test Pony.ai robotaxis in London. inDrive itself already has a separate agreement with AI Driver in Saudi Arabia to explore WeRide-based autonomous vehicles in Riyadh.

For Pony.ai, this is part of its push beyond China. The company already runs fully driverless operations in major Chinese cities, with deployments across Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Its second quarter 2026 report targets more than 3,500 robotaxis in over 20 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, up from a fleet of 1,975 vehicles at the end of June.

4. inDrive's asset-light approach

inDrive is not building its own self-driving technology. Instead it partners with existing suppliers, an approach Misnik calls "capital-light by design". The company built its business on fares passengers and drivers negotiate directly, and now operates in more than 1,200 cities across 47 countries with over 400 million app downloads.

NVIDIA representatives said the Hyperion platform can lower the cost of developing robotaxis because companies do not need to build sensors and computing from scratch. Those savings matter most in emerging markets, where ride-hailing is already cheap and autonomous services need to compete on price.

What it means for you

If you use ride-hailing, nothing changes today. This MOU is at the evaluation stage, and any launch depends on government approval. But it shows where the industry is heading: robotaxis are no longer limited to the US and China, and new markets are opening their legal doors.

  1. Clear timeline: testing starts in the first half of 2027 according to inDrive's CTO, not today.
  2. Safety operators first: the early phase still has a human safety operator in the car.
  3. Cold climate is the real test: if robotaxis can handle Astana's snow, the technology is easier to trust elsewhere.
  4. A new partnership model: ride-hailing platforms can use third-party technology instead of building it themselves, a pattern other players may follow.

Sources