inDrive to Pilot Robotaxis in Kazakhstan by 2027

The collaboration leverages Pony.ai’s Gen-7 robotaxis, while Nvidia provides the underlying AI infrastructure through its Hyperion platform and Halos safety system. Initially, these vehicles will operate with safety drivers on board. CTO Yuri Misnik emphasized a capital-light strategy, utilizing external partnerships to maintain the affordability that defines the company's core ride-hailing business.

Astana’s climate serves as a rigorous proving ground for the technology. With heavy snow and ice, the city offers a unique environment to stress-test autonomous systems, potentially providing data for future deployments in other cold-weather markets. CEO Arsen Tomsky noted that success in the capital could yield critical insights for scaling autonomous mobility. The initiative aligns with Kazakhstan’s broader regulatory push, as the government has already established specific frameworks for testing self-driving vehicles on public roads.

This move places inDrive in a competitive race to bring autonomous services to emerging markets. While the company explores similar opportunities in Saudi Arabia, it must balance these ambitions against the technical demands of local infrastructure and varying regulatory landscapes. By integrating Nvidia’s ready-made sensor and computing tools, the partners aim to keep development costs low enough to remain competitive in regions where ride-hailing is already price-sensitive.