From the Founder’s desk
Goof-ups, poor management, and regrettable absences of global tech luminaries plagued India’s esteemed AI Summit held at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, resulting in a challenging experience for both participants and attendees. The summit, intended to serve as a significant global platform for AI, encountered difficulties almost immediately. Reports of mismanagement, allegations concerning Galgotias University related to a robotic dog demonstration, Thermacol Drone, Drone soccer arena and plagiarism accusations associated with Dalhousie University generated a wave of adverse headlines.
Representatives from over 100 nations, including various heads of state, were present, along with prominent industry figures, including Google’s Sundar Pichai. While the summit was welcome and significant for India in terms of global exposure and investment, the execution was mostly flawed and more about optics, according to leading industry experts.
Among the various issues noted at the event were insufficient seating arrangements, the lack of WiFi, and the consequent unavailability of digital payment options, which resulted in cash-only booths that left numerous attendees without access to food, water, and other basic amenities. Reuters indicated that a number of delegates were unable to retrieve their devices and other belongings due to ambiguous instructions from the organizers.
The report stated that many journalists covering the summit spent a considerable part of the day seeking clarification on entrance procedures, as there was confusion regarding digital QR codes and physical passes. Additionally, many expressed dissatisfaction with the registration system, which reportedly crashed multiple times throughout the event.
Gates controversy
International media reports indicated that Gates, who was expected to deliver the keynote address at the prestigious event, decided to stay away from it due to heightened scrutiny of the Epstein files, continuing to attract unwelcome attention.
Infosys Murthy’s take on the event
Murthy characterized the summit as a “double-edged sword.” He stated that large-scale events can either turn out “badly wrong.” “Had the initial three days proceeded smoothly, it is possible that the risk would have been taken,” Murthy noted, indicating that the organizers probably opted for caution to avert further embarrassment.
Adding to the woes: Visitors reported difficulty navigating the numerous security checkpoints and other obstacles at the entrance, while VIPs swiftly bypassed the lengthy, winding lines.
Another booth exhibitor, who prefers to remain anonymous, said that hosting an AI summit at this level would entail careful considerations of the implications of the government’s organizational strategy.
Galgotias University under fire!
The show’s biggest spoiler, however, turned out to be the controversy surrounding Galgotias University, located in Greater Noida, when it was forced by the event organizers to clear its stall at the AI Summit Expo. This came in the wake of a robotic dog, showcased by the Galgotias University team as an in-house innovation, after observers identified it as the ‘Unitree Go2’, built by the Chinese manufacturer Unitree Robotics. This quadruped robot, rebranded as ‘Orion’ during the event, is commercially available in India, priced at approximately INR 2–3 lakh, according to government sources.
The incident became a talk of the town when Neha Singh, a professor from Galgotias University, informed the state-operated broadcaster DD News that the robot was “created” at their Centre of Excellence, an allegedly audacious claim of innovation. A video capturing her statements gained widespread attention on social media and a few mainstream channels that accused the university of dishonesty. Nevertheless, it has raised doubts regarding the credibility of the institution’s research assertions and the genuineness of its innovations.
Thermacol Drone
Even while the robot dog controversy captured the news, Galgotias had garnered renewed interest when a thermocol drone model, encased in plastic or foil, and secured with rubber bands—often likened by many to a simple school project—was abandoned at the empty stall, and its video recorded and circulated online.
Attendees started utilizing the model as a prop for their reels, transforming it into a viral subject of discussion. Netizens, who were seemingly enraged by the turn of events, demanded that the university be stripped of its UGC accreditation to save the future of education.
Drone soccer arena
Reports have also surfaced that challenge the authenticity of a “drone soccer arena” purported to be entirely developed in-house, with accusations suggesting it bears resemblance to a commercially available product from South Korea. This has contributed to the growing perception of exaggerations within the university’s AI ecosystem exhibition, which includes assertions of investments exceeding INR 350 crore in laboratories and Centres of Excellence.
Though the university issued an official apology note to water down the controversy, the damage had already been done. In another statement, the university stated that robotic programming is an integral component of its initiative to assist students in acquiring knowledge in AI and cultivating practical skills using tools and resources that are accessible globally. Amidst growing dissent from the innovation ecosystem, Professor Neha, on her part, later clarified that her remarks had been widely misconstrued by the media and organizers.
IT Ministry’s response
The entire episode is considered a big embarrassment for the summit’s organizers, particularly since the video was also shared by Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s IT Minister, on his X profile. This post has since been removed. India’s IT Secretary S Krishnan remarked that the intention is not to stifle innovation, and that the controversy should not undermine the efforts made by other exhibits at the summit. The situation took an ugly turn when Professor Neha, now stranded at sea, was allegedly removed from her position, according to her LinkedIn profile, only to be later clarified by the university that the news of her suspension was “baseless” and “defamatory”.
Bengaluru-based founder’s product stolen
The event was further tainted by accusations of theft, as Dhananjay Yadav, the founder of the Bengaluru-based AI startup NeoSapiens, claimed that the company’s wearable AI devices were taken from the venue during the time the main hall was evacuated for PM Modi’s arrival.
When the Indian innovation ecosystem has increasingly been marred by several cases of plagiarism accusations in universities, covering student work and academic research, and over-reliance by Indian startups on Chinese manufacturing technology and imports, the controversies surrounding the AI Summit have dented India’s credibility big time.
Youth Congress protest
As if the above are not enough, about 10 activists from the youth wing of the Congress party, India’s main opposition party, stormed into the venue of the AI Summit and conducted a striking shirtless protest, chanting slogans against PM Modi, such as “PM is compromised”, “India-US Trade Deal”, and “Epstein Files”. The demonstrators were either wearing or holding identical white T-shirts that featured images of Modi and US President Trump, accompanied by the aforementioned slogans. Industry experts demanded a higher investigation, citing security lapses in the event.
The summit is regarded as one of its kind for being the inaugural event hosted in the Global South. The previous editions took place in the UK and South Korea.
Our verdict:
Touted to be one of the most important AI summits of this year that will reshape India’s tech future, the event undoubtedly highlighted a gap between the government’s lofty ambitions and lousy preparedness. The event’s organizers could have taken a leaf or two out of TN GSS 2025, an event connecting startups, investors, global innovators, and policymakers, which was organized by StartupTN, supported by the Tamil Nadu government, last year, for seamless planning, execution, and delivery.
While we highly appreciate our government’s effort in democratising AI resources and raking in substantial investments through the country’s first-ever global summit, meticulous planning, greater coordination, enhanced scrutiny, tightened security, and effective execution could have elevated the event to an entirely new level.
Image Sources:
- Hindustan Times
- NDTV
- The Times of India
- Inbriefy
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