Chaos and theft claims mar India AI Summit
Crowd mismanagement, theft FIR and Chinese robodog controversy overshadow opening of India’s largest AI summit.
AI Summit Chaos: Delhi’s Tech Dream Meets Ground Reality
Picture this: Delhi’s Pragati Maidan buzzing like a beehive on steroids, 70,000 techies, founders, and dreamers packed in for the India AI Impact Summit—billed as one of the world’s biggest AI shindigs. But opening day? Total pandemonium. Long queues snaking under the winter sun, locked exhibition halls, session mix-ups, and even a theft that had folks yelling foul. It’s like throwing the ultimate house party, forgetting the snacks, and locking guests outside while the VIP arrives. Narendra Modi was the star, but for many, the real show was a comedy of errors that left everyone asking: Are we ready for AI if we can’t handle a conference?
Social media—X, formerly Twitter—lit up like Diwali fireworks with gripes from founders, exhibitors, and jet-lagged delegates. “7 AM queues!” one tweeted, sharing pics of hundreds stranded as security swept halls clean for the PM’s visit. BBC and Reuters captured the frenzy: full evacuations, hours of waiting, speakers twiddling thumbs over unconfirmed slots. Sessions slammed shut from overcrowding, and food stalls? Cash-only, leaving international visitors fumbling for rupees amid UPI-less frustration. Healthcare startup whiz Soumya Sharma nailed it: “Some sessions were excellent, but these basics? Unless we get them right, AI talk feels hollow.” Ouch. It’s that human sting—excitement curdled into annoyance, dreams dashed by bad logistics.
Then came the theft drama, straight out of a Bollywood heist flick. Dhananjay Yadav, founder of wearable AI startup NeoSapien, watched helplessly as his prized devices vanished during a noon security lockdown. “Vacate for sanitisation,” barked the orders. He begged to grab his gear—an officer waved him on briefly, another shooed them out. “Security will watch it,” they promised. Six hours later, back inside: poof, gone. Yadav’s stall stripped bare. Cue the outrage—FIR filed, Delhi Police on the case. Special Commissioner Manish Kumar Agrawal spilled: CCTV caught it all, items left unattended despite a provided locker. But here’s the hero twist—within 24 hours, cops nabbed the thief and recovered everything. Yadav’s X post? Pure gratitude: “Superfast response!” In a city where “chalta hai” rules, that swift justice felt like a win for the little guy.
Minister’s Mea Culpa and the Bigger Picture
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw faced the music at a Tuesday presser, owning the mess with a straight face. “70,000 attendees, and yeah, organisation was slow,” he admitted, rolling out a “war-room” for fixes. Apology served with a side of optimism: “Phenomenal response overall.” Fair play—he didn’t dodge, pinning it on scale. But whispers lingered: Is this India’s AI ambition? World-beating hype meets third-world execution? Pragati Maidan, that Soviet-era expo giant, groaned under the weight—too many bodies, too few plans.
And don’t get me started on the robodog scandal. A shiny quadruped waddled onstage, demoed as “Orion” from some Centre of Excellence. Crowd goes wild. Then X sleuths zoom in: Unitree Go2, a Chinese off-the-shelf bot priced at Rs 2-3 lakh. Rep hawking it as homegrown? Gasps. Videos went viral, netizens raging: “Make in India or Made in China?” It’s the classic desi dilemma—shining abroad, fumbling the pitch at home. Accusations flew: Imported gimmick passed as innovation. Summit organizers stayed mum, but the backlash stung, spotlighting India’s real AI hustle amid the flash.
Human Side: Hype, Heartbreak, and Hope
Zoom in on the people—the heartbeat of this mess. That startup founder in a crumpled kurta, laptop dying in line. The international delegate, starving sans card payments, pondering if Delhi’s chaos is the real AI test. Yadav, gut-punched then relieved, rebuilding his booth. Sharma, balancing praise with a plea for sanity. These aren’t faceless complaints; they’re entrepreneurs betting life savings on India’s tech boom. Modi’s visit? Symbolic gold—AI for jobs, healthcare, farms. But glitches erode trust. Imagine prepping months, flying in, only to cool heels while bigwigs breeze past.
Yet, silver linings peeked through. Killer sessions on generative AI, ethics, quantum leaps. Networking magic in packed halls. Vaishnaw’s war-room vowed fixes—better flow, digital payments, clearer signs. By day two, queues shortened, vibes lifted. India’s AI story? Messy, ambitious, quintessentially chaotic—like Mumbai traffic birthing miracles. We’ve hosted G20s, moonshots; this was a hiccup.
As Modi exited, promising AI for the masses, one takeaway lingered: Tech revolutions need human glue. Nail the basics—queues, security, honesty—and the world follows. Delhi’s summit wasn’t perfect, but it was real: raw energy, real fixes, real potential. In 2026’s AI arms race, India’s learning curve? Steep, but spirited. Next time, let’s make it legendary.