Uber rival inDrive eyes 2027 robotaxi tests in Central Asia with Pony.ai and Nvidia

What happened

inDrive is planning to start testing robotaxis in Kazakhstan’s capital city, Nur-Sultan, in the first half of 2027. These driverless cars will be supplied by Pony.ai, a company specializing in self-driving technology, with support from Nvidia’s AI hardware and software. This marks inDrive’s first significant entry into autonomous vehicle testing in Central Asia.

Why it matters

This move puts inDrive directly in competition with global rideshare leaders like Uber, especially as robotaxi technology begins maturing outside of the traditional tech hubs in the US and China. Using Nvidia’s AI chips indicates inDrive aims to leverage robust, specialized processing power to handle complex environments. Central Asia’s urban infrastructure and regulatory landscape will now become a proving ground for practical robotaxi operations outside more familiar markets. Success here could accelerate local adoption of autonomous mobility and pressure competitors to expand their geographic footprint and tech partnerships.

What to watch next

Key areas to monitor include how Kazakhstan’s regulators handle self-driving vehicle rules and safety standards. inDrive’s choice of Pony.ai and Nvidia reveals a strategic bet on established, tested tech stacks rather than in-house autonomy development, which may fast-track deployment but limit customization. The operational rollout will also show how well AI-powered fleets perform in cities with less mature traffic management and different data availability. Investors should watch how this initiative affects inDrive’s market penetration and whether it sparks similar autonomous vehicle tests across Central Asia.

AI Quick Briefs Editorial Desk