InDrive and Pony AI Target Astana Robotaxi Trial in 2026

Kazakhstan’s capital is set to become the testing ground for a three-way autonomous ride-hailing push, with InDrive, Pony AI and Nvidia all putting their names to a memorandum of understanding.

The target is to have robotaxis on Astana’s streets for trials during the first half of next year, according to InDrive CTO Yuri Misnik. He declined to say how large the initial fleet would be. The plan is for Pony AI to supply its Gen-7 robotaxis, Nvidia to provide the AI infrastructure underneath them, and InDrive to fold the service into its existing ride-hailing platform.

It is the first market the trio has agreed to work in together, and the arrangement remains conditional on approval from the Kazakh government.

Why Astana, of all places?

Misnik’s argument is that autonomy has been shaped almost entirely around a small set of wealthy cities that happen to share similar, forgiving conditions. Emerging markets hold billions of residents and are where most future urban growth is expected — yet the AV sector has mostly left them out of the picture. Testing in Kazakhstan is meant to start closing that gap.

There is a practical pull, too. InDrive already operates in the country, and Kazakhstan is putting together a regulatory framework for driverless transport. The nation has branded 2026 as its year of digitalisation and AI, and the first legal groundwork for autonomous vehicles is taking shape alongside it.

The setting is anything but gentle. Astana is the second-coldest capital on earth, which makes it a genuinely tough place to validate self-driving tech.

“Success in Astana could offer valuable insights for expanding autonomous mobility to other locations facing similar challenges.”

That line comes from InDrive CEO Arsen Tomsky, who framed the pilot as a chance to see how the vehicles cope through hard winters.

A cautious approach to autonomy

InDrive runs its platform across 1,200 cities and leans heavily on emerging markets. On autonomy, the company has moved more slowly than some rivals.

• Riyadh MoU: Last year InDrive agreed a deal with Saudi firm AI Driver, the official local dealer for WeRide, covering Riyadh and later Jeddah.
• Original timing: That rollout was aimed at the first half of this year.
• Current status: Misnik did not comment on where that project stands.

The company says other markets are under review as well, including the Gulf. A regulatory climate that supports safe, sustained road testing is described as a baseline requirement before anything launches.

As for the Chinese partner, Misnik called Pony AI the right fit given its operations across China, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Its Gen-7 vehicles will run on Nvidia’s robotaxi platform — a setup that pairs Hyperion with the Alpamayo Stack and the Halos full-stack safety system.

The rollout is staged. Closed testing with a safety operator comes first, then passenger rides with an operator on board, and only after that does the project aim at fully driverless service. Each step hinges on Kazakhstan’s government giving the green light.