InDrive and Nvidia launch autonomous fare tests in Kazakhstan to cut operating costs

Ride-sharing platform InDrive is set to test autonomous taxi vehicles in Kazakhstan by the first half of 2027, through a three-way alliance with Chinese company Boon AI (a Chinese AI firm) and U.S. company Nvidia. The move, disclosed in a memorandum of understanding signed alongside Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s first visit to the capital Astana, reflects the shift of the autonomous-driving race from its traditional strongholds in the United States and China toward emerging markets, at a lower operating cost.

The operational plan relies on a defined task distribution, with Boon AI supplying seventh-generation vehicles from its fleet for InDrive to integrate and operate directly through its field app. In return, Nvidia injects its smart infrastructure by equipping the vehicles with the Hyperion platform that aggregates sensors and computing systems, the Helios safety suite, as well as the AlabamaIO model and tools for generating synthetic data and testing driving routes via simulation of multiple scenarios.

The commercial bet hinges on adopting a light-asset model that trims the arduous development cost.This approach, as explained by the platform’s CTO Yuri Mesnick, relies on merging partners’ expertise instead of building systems and hardware from scratch. Nvidia, through automotive vice-president Ali Kani, confirms that providing a ready-to-use computing foundation with sensors lowers the cost of building robotaxi vehicles, a critical pillar in emerging markets characterized by low fare levels and the need for competitive pricing capable of breaking the traditional wage equation.

The harsh winter in Astana, home to about 1.7 million people, serves as an exceptional field test for AI systems that must endure months of snow, ice and reduced visibility. Founder and CEO of InDrive, Arsen Tomsky, notes that the success of trials that will start with a human safety operator before shifting to fully autonomous operation will provide highly valuable operational lessons for scaling the technology in regions facing severe climate challenges. These trials coincide with regulatory steps recently announced by Kazakhstan to launch self-driving taxi services in 2027 and open designated lanes on public roads in three cities.

The alliance bolsters Boon AI’s push to expand beyond China, targeting the operation of more than 3,500 robotaxi vehicles in over 20 cities worldwide before the end of 2026, up from a fleet of 1,975 vehicles at the end of June. This move comes as the global market experiences a heated race among mobility apps, with Uber also planning to test Boon AI vehicles in London, alongside its experiments with Wave and its Middle-East partnerships, making autonomous fleets the next competitive arena for transport platforms seeking to maximize operational efficiency.

This technological shift carries direct implications for the transport and AI sectors in the Arab region and the Gulf.InDrive, which operates in more than 1,200 cities across 47 countries, signed a separate agreement in December with Saudi-based AI Driver to explore deploying autonomous vehicles backed by Chinese firm WayRide, starting in Riyadh, as a prelude to a trial that had aimed for the first half of 2026. The shift toward ready-to-use standardized computing packages means regional transport operators in the Gulf will not have to burn large capital on local software and hardware development, but will instead direct investment toward fleet management and adapting models to field conditions and hot weather.

A collaborative legislative environment remains the true decisive factor for enabling this transition, platform officials stress; the regulations that Kazakhstan put ahead of the trials place regulatory bodies in Gulf capitals before the need to draft clear frameworks for legal liability, insurance and public-road permits. Field deployment of autonomous taxis is no longer confined to major Western cities or Shanghai factories, but has become a rapidly implementable option in regional cities that are building partnerships that merge Chinese hardware with global computing to lower the daily mobility bill.