AI Summit 2026 Highlights: Galgotia's University staff and officials leave expo amid controversy over robodog

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Lyricist and stand-up comedian Varun Grover also joined the online commentary over the RoboDog episode.

In a satirical Hindi post, he wrote, “Tum kitne galgotia pakdoge. Har gali se galgotia niklega,” adding to the wave of humour and criticism surrounding the university’s presence at the AI Impact Summit.

Comedian Vir Das took a swipe at the controversy surrounding Galgotias University’s robotic dog display at the AI Summit.

Posting on X, he quipped that “nothing is REALLY original,” adding in satire that humans themselves are derivative creations “made by the great Galgotia University in the sky,” in an apparent dig at the claims made during the showcase.

Galgotias University has apologised “profusely” amid the controversy surrounding the display of a Chinese-made RoboDog at its stall during the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

The Greater Noida-based university clarified that its representative, Professor Neha Singh, who introduced the robotic dog as ‘Orion’, was “ill-informed” about the technical origins of the product. It stated that she was not authorised to speak to the press and, in her “enthusiasm of being on camera”, provided factually incorrect information.

The university expressed regret for the confusion caused at the summit.

The Prime Minister Modi also met Spain President Pedro Sánchez in New Delhi to strengthen India–Spain relations. Discussions focused on defence, security, technology and broader strategic cooperation.

Modi noted that 2026 will be observed as the India–Spain Year of Culture, Tourism and AI, aimed at deepening people-to-people ties and academic exchanges. He added that the EU FTA will create fresh economic opportunities for both nations.

“Exhibitors must not display items that are not theirs,” IT Secretary S Krishnan said, responding to controversy over a China-made robotic dog displayed by Galgotias University at the AI Summit.

The remark came after questions were raised about the origin of the robotic exhibit, with officials reiterating guidelines for transparency and proper representation at the event.

PM Narendra Modi held discussions with Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, thanking him for his support to the India–EU Free Trade Agreement.

Calling the agreement a “golden era” in India–Europe relations, Modi said both nations aim to double bilateral trade. The leaders also discussed cooperation in futuristic sectors such as 6G, clean energy, biofuels, circular economy and innovation.

IT Secretary S. Krishnan announced at a press conference that the AI Impact Summit expo has been extended by one additional day following an overwhelming public response. The expo will now remain open to members of the public on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Sundar Pichai on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, highlighting India’s rapidly expanding artificial intelligence ecosystem.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said he discussed how Google can collaborate with India’s talented students and professionals in advancing AI innovation.

French President Emmanuel Macron is on a three-day visit to India, along with First Lady Brigitte Macron.

After launching the India–France Year of Innovation, he is also expected to attend the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 February 2026.

This is Macron’s fourth visit to India (first to Mumbai) and comes a year after Modi’s trip to France.

Acknowledging the Galgotia's University robodog controversy, Abhishek Singh, additional secretary at MeitY, India AI Mission CEO said, “The main problem is they claimed to be something they are not. They misled. The whole world is here.”

IT Secretary S Krishnan today said that the government did not want any controversy at the summit, warning that plagiarism will not be encouraged.

“We want genuine exhibitors at the expo. We don’t want controversy around exhibits here. Plagiarism, misinformation cannot be encouraged. This should not overshadow the wonderful exhibits others have put out,” he said.

The statement came amid controversy over Galgotia's University allegedly displaying a Chinese robodog as its own innovation.

Galgotia's University staff and officials were today seen vacating their stall at India AI Impact Summit expo, following the massive controversy over its display of a Chinese robodog.

This came after reports suggested that Galgotia's University had been asked to vacate its stall at the expo area at the AI Impact Summit. However, the Uttar Pradesh-based university denied such reports and told Livemint that it had not yet received such a communication.

IT Secretary S Krishnan has today announced that the AI Impact Summit Expo 2026 has been extended by one more day, to 21 February, due to overwhelming response and demand from the public.

“Due to overwhelming response, the expo has been extended for one more day. So, expo will be open on Saturday for members of the public. The expo will not be open to the public on 19 February due to VIP movement,” Krishnan said at a press conference.

Key highlights

• The expo will be open on 20-21 February till 8 pm.
• Due to security reasons, sessions on 19th can only be attended by invitees at the Bharat Mandapam premises.

- All sessions will be streamed online.

“I am delighted to see Swiss startups here at the summit bringing bold ideas, cutting edge technologies, and a strong spirit of innovation to explore new opportunities for collaboration with Indian partners,” Swiss President Guy Parmelin told ANI at the AI Impact Summit 2026.

He added that the two countries share values and common belief on responsible AI that “we need to ensure that AI is used for the public good — supporting inclusive economic growth, social progress, sustainability, and solutions that benefit society at large. We attach great importance to close cooperation with India in the developments regarding the creation of international and multilateral agreements on the governance of AI.”

India AI Mission, with Intel, sets Guinness World Record for most pledges for an AI responsibility campaign in 24 hours.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin has expressed strong support for India's vision of a safe, inclusive, and impactful AI ecosystem, as per an ANI report.

Speaking to the agency at the AI Impact Summit 2026, he welcomed the event's emphasis on human-centric, sustainable, and equitable AI development.

“Switzerland very much welcomes and supports the focus of the AI Impact Summit which is well presented in the three Sutras: People, Progress, Planet: We fully agree that we need to develop and use AI in a way that everyone in the world can benefit from the potential that AI offers. This includes economic and societal progress for everyone. At the same time we need to make sure that we respect our planet as the basis of all lives and that AI is developed and used in a sustainable way,” Parmelin stated.

Under fire for touting a Chinese robodog as their own at the AI Impact Summit 2026, Galgotias University clarified that it had “not built” it.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the university stated: “At Galgotias university our mission has always been clear — to keep our students ahead of the curve in technology, not just for today’s world, but for the world that is unfolding tomorrow. The recently acquired Robodog from Unitree is one such step in that journey. It is not merely a machine on display — it is a classroom in motion. Our students are experimenting with it, testing its limits, and in the process, expanding their own knowledge.”

“Let us be clear — Galgotias has not built this robodog, neither have we claimed. But what we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer, and manufacture such technologies right here in Bharat. This is not about importing technology. This is about inspiring transformation. This is about empowering young innovators to dream bigger — and build those dreams in India,” it added.

A report by Ventura notes that India has “an ambitious, full-stack artificial intelligence roadmap” that positions it to be a serious contender in the next phase of the global technology race.

It further noted that the roadmap aims for parallel progress across five strategic layers — applications, models, chips, infrastructure and energy.

The report cited Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's address at the AI Impact Summit 2026, which called for a “whole-of-nation” approach to AI, where focus is on building a “frugal, sovereign and scalable” ecosystem.

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today asked participants at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 come put forth concrete suggestions on how to make AI safe. “AI is a great tool and should be used for the benefit of humans,” he added.

“We, in India, are very focused on AI in the edge, AI for use cases, AI for solving real-world problems, AI for improving the productivity in the enterprises, for population-scale problems like healthcare, like agriculture, like climate change. These are things we are focussed on here in India. And the AI submit brings that opportunity,” the minister said.

Indian data centre company Yotta Data Services will build one of Asia's largest AI computing hubs using Nvidia's latest Blackwell Ultra chips. The project, which includes a four-year engagement worth over $1 billion with Nvidia, will cost more than $2 billion, Reuters reported.

The supercluster is expected to go live by August and will be deployed at Yotta's data centre campus near capital New Delhi, with additional capacity from its facility Mumbai.

It also has multiple data centres planned for major Indian cities, including Jaipur, Patna, Guwahati, Indore, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, and Kochi.

Police said they have put in place comprehensive traffic arrangements and advised residents and commuters to plan their journeys in advance.

Alternate Routes:

• San Martin Marg

• Panchsheel Marg

• APJ Abdul Kalam Marg

• Kamal Ataturk Marg

• Aurobindo Marg

• Lodhi Road

• South Avenue Road

• Vandematram Marg

• Barapullah Road

• Ring Road

• Tilak Marg

• Ferozshah Road

• Rafi Marg

• Sansad Marg

• K Kamraj Marg

VIP movements and route restrictions due to the AI Summit at Bharat Mandapam, the ongoing wedding season and board exams have contributed to traffic snarls in the national capital.

Roads Affected:

• Sardar Patel Marg

• Mother Teresa Crescent

• Teen Murti Marg

• Akbar Road

• Janpath

• Windsor Place

• Tees January Marg

• Prithvi Raj Road

• Rajesh Pilot Marg

• Subrahmaniam Bharti Marg

• Mathura Road (between Lodhi Flyover and Dr. Dinesh Chander Dalmia / Bhairon Marg)

• Shanti Path (between R/A Satya Marg up to R/A Kautilya Marg)

• Africa Avenue

• Satya Marg (between R/A Yashwant Place and Shanti Path)

• Dr. Zakir Hussain Marg

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai will deliver the keynote address on February 20, the last day of the AI Impact Summit 2026.

Spanish President Pedro Sanchez was received by Minister of State for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, Jayant Chaudhary.

President of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón was welcomed by Minister of State for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary for the India-AI Impact Summit.

The India AI Impact Summit aims to strengthen global cooperation on the governance, safety, and societal impact of AI, guided by three Sutras (foundational pillars) — People, Planet, and Progress.

These pillars spell out the core principles for global AI cooperation, ANI reported. They aim to promote human-centric AI that safeguards rights and ensure equitable benefits across societies, environmentally sustainable advancement of AI, and inclusive economic and technological advancement, it added.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today hailed youngsters for their passion towards AI and active participation in the India AI Impact Summit.

“Yesterday we had about 2,50,000 people attending. It was a phenomenal response when I interacted with the young minds. I was so surprised at the optimism which the young people expressed towards this opportunity towards them. Looking at their optimism, I am feeling really hopeful for a totally new future for our country and the world,” he stated.

Vaishnaw added, “We in India are very hopeful for AI in the edge, AI for use cases, solving real world problems, improving productivity in enterprises, for population scale problems like healthcare and agriculture.”

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai in Delhi for AI Impact Summit. “Nice to be back in India,” he wrote on X.

Around 2,50,000 people attended the event on 17 February, according to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed Ebba Busch, Sweden's Deputy PM and Minister for Energy, Business and Industry to Delhi for the India-AI Impact Summit.

Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary of the Department of Food & Public Distribution, noted the transformative role AI in strengthening transparency and responsiveness across the department's operations, ANI reported.

“We have displayed how AI has been a critical component in our functioning for the past couple of years, in particular. What we were trying to do through technology is to bring about transparency. And what AI has done is to add another layer to that particular transparent functioning and to make it more responsive,” Chopra told ANI.

“Across all our operations, from procurement and storage through movement and distribution to state subsidy bill settlement, AI has been used extremely effectively. But now going forward, we'll be covering each area in more depth as well,” he added.

This is the first AI Impact Summit hosted in the ‘Global South’ with aim to reflect on the transformative potential of, AI aligning with the national vision of “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya” (welfare for all, happiness for all) and global principle of AI for Humanity.

The Summit will have participation of more than 110 countries, 30 International organizations, including about 20 Heads of State or Heads of Governments level participation, about 45 Ministers.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has welcomed Finland's PM Petteri Orpo in a post on X. Orpo was greeted at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 by Jayant Singh, Minister of State for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship.

Former G20 Sherpa of India and Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has emphasised India's goal towards artificial intelligence, noting that the country has the talent and data to become a top AI power while ensuring its availability to all, ANI reported.

“India has the talent, the data... so that when we grow, we grow with equality. We agree that India will be one of the top-most powers of AI, simply because of talent and data. We will also ensure that there is accessibility for our citizens,” Amitabh Kant told the agency.

A day after Bengaluru-based NeoSapien co-founder and CEO Dhananjay Yadav alleged his AI wearables were stolen from AI Impact Summit 2026, the Delhi Police has identified one person who was involved in the theft.

Manish Kumar Agrawal, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Division) said a case has been registered against the person responsible, adding, “We have registered an FIR. We shall be able to work that out.”

National capital Delhi woke to light rain today, a sharp shift after the city on Monday recorded its earliest 30°C-plus February temperature in five years.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), light rainfall or drizzle was “very likely” across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

The weather office has also forecast gusty winds of 30–40 kmph during the afternoon.

The IMD has projected a cooler day, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 27°C and 14°C, respectively.

The cabinet secretariat has reportedly directed all officers at and above the level of deputy secretary across ministries and departments to attend the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026, News18 reported.

They have been asked to submit brief notes on their experience and observations, which will then be compiled by the respective secretaries and identify applications (apps) relevant to their ministries, departments, and organisations.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has pulled out of participation in the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

According to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Huang cited “something really unavoidable” and has deputed a senior executive to represent the company instead.

“Nvidia continues to engage with Indian firms on potential AI investments and collaborations,” the minister added.

Special traffic arrangements will be in place today from 4 pm to 10 pm due to events linked to the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

• Delhi Police has advised commuters to plan their journeys in advance, avoid affected stretches and strictly follow directions issued by traffic personnel at key intersections.
• Motorists have been urged to maintain lane discipline, avoid unnecessary halts and allow extra travel time.
• Suggested alternate routes include San Martin Marg, Panchsheel Marg, APJ Abdul Kalam Marg, Kamal Ataturk Marg, Aurobindo Marg, Lodhi Road, South Avenue Road, Vandematram Marg, Barapullah Road, Ring Road, Tilak Marg, Ferozshah Road, Rafi Marg, Sansad Marg and K. Kamraj Marg.

Amid much speculation over Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates' participation in the AI Impact Summit 2026, a spokesperson for the Gates Foundation confirmed to Mint that the billionaire will deliver his keynote address as scheduled on 19 February at 11.50 am at Bharat Mandapam.

Notably, the tech leader's name had briefly disappeared from the participants’ list on the official website, sparking discussions over his attendance.

An unprecedented security grid has been arranged in Delhi amid the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam.

The high-tech arrangements include over 4,000 AI-enabled cameras and deployment of more than 15,000 security personnel, with surveillance focused on preventing disruptions.

The event is expecting attendance from high profile world leaders, tech executives and delegates from around 45 countries, including Bill Gates.

Good morning and welcome to Mint's LIVE coverage of the AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, India. Stay tuned to this blog for all the latest updates and developments from the India AI Summit.