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NEW DELHI: India’s AI Impact Summit, billed as a landmark gathering of global leaders and technology executives, was overshadowed by logistical chaos on its opening day, BBC News reported.
The disorganisation even prompted the country’s IT minister to issue an apology to visitors to a global artificial intelligence summit, who had complained of overcrowding and other problems on the first day.
The five-day summit, inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, is being billed as the first major international AI meeting hosted in the Global South.
More than 100 countries are taking part, with technology leaders including Sam Altman of OpenAI and Sundar Pichai of Alphabet Inc expected to attend.
IT minister urges big tech to operate within country’s constitutional framework
Organisers had expected tens of thousands of attendees, from top-level national delegations to companies, campaigners and students.
However, participants complained about long queues, overcrowding and confusion at the venue, saying they had to wait for hours. Some also reported limited access to food and water and said their products were stolen from their stall.
“If anybody has faced any problems yesterday, my apologies for that. We are working very hard,” IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said at a news conference on Tuesday.
“We definitely will make efforts to make it more smooth and make it more enjoyable for all of you,” he said.
On Monday afternoon, social media was flooded with complaints from founders, exhibitors and delegates who said security sweeps and last-minute closures left them stranded outside exhibition halls.
Maitreya Wagh, co-founder of voice AI start-up Bolna, wrote on X that he was unable to access his company’s booth after gates were closed. Punit Jain, founder of tech platform Reskill, described “7 AM queues” followed by hours of waiting and a “full evacuation” before the prime minister’s arrival.
Dhananjay Yadav, founder of wearable AI start-up NeoSapiens, alleged that products from his company’s stall were stolen at the venue. Writing on X, he said the firm had spent heavily on travel, accommodation ables disappear inside a high-security zone”.
Earlier reports also suggested that Microsoft founder Bill Gates — who has faced questions after appearing in the Epstein files — would no longer be addressing the summit.
But the Gates Foundation has since confirmed his attendance, telling the BBC he will deliver his keynote as scheduled.
Controlling ‘big tech’
In his remarks on Tuesday, IT minister Vaishnaw urged big tech platforms like Google’s YouTube, Meta , X and Netflix to operate within the country’s constitutional framework, a week after New Delhi tightened its content-takedown rules.
“It’s very important for the multinationals to understand the cultural context of the country in which they are operating,” Ashwini Vaishnaw said during a briefing at the India AI Impact Summit.
Last week, India said social media companies will have to remove unlawful content within three hours of being notified, tightening an earlier 36-hour timeline, in what could be a compliance challenge for Meta, YouTube and X.
There is a need for much stronger regulation on deepfakes, Vaishnaw said, adding that a dialogue has already been initiated with the industry on the issue. The poor organisation of the event was also acknowledged, who said “a war-room” had been set up at the summit to address any issues reported to them./
Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2026
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