Pony.ai, inDrive and NVIDIA sign an Astana robotaxi MOU, with tests targeted for the first half of 2027

Pony.ai, inDrive and NVIDIA signed a memorandum of understanding on Oct 23 to study autonomous ride-hailing in Kazakhstan, with Astana as the first city.

It is an option rather than a launch. inDrive would supply the app and run the service, Pony.ai its seventh-generation robotaxis, which are Level 4-ready, and NVIDIA its Hyperion platform and Halos safety system. A launch would follow an agreement with the government of Kazakhstan, and inDrive CTO Yuri Misnik describes the approach as "capital-light by design."

Kazakhstan's own timetable makes Astana more likely. The government said in September it plans autonomous taxi services in 2027, with initial trials in Astana, a city of about 1.7 million, and two other cities, and it has written rules for testing on certain public roads. inDrive's December 2025 Riyadh deal with AI Driver and WeRide targeted a first-half 2026 pilot; if testing there has not begun, Astana's date warrants the same caution.

Pony.ai's targets point the other way: more than 3,500 robotaxis in over 20 cities by the end of 2026, up from 1,975 at the end of June, so it has vehicles to send.

The next checkable point is the first half of 2027, when Misnik says testing with a safety operator is due to start in Astana. A commercial launch would still need the Kazakh government's agreement.