Chaos on Day 1 of India AI Impact Summit 2026: Overcrowding, Poor Communication, and Theft Complaints

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The first day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on February 16, 2026, witnessed major disruptions. Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw apologised to participants on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, acknowledging that the massive turnout of over 70,000 people led to logistical difficulties. He described the event as the world’s largest AI summit and assured that the government had set up a special war room to address complaints and improve management in the coming days.

People criticised the unprecedented crowding and poor coordination on the first day of the summit. Thousands of attendees, including startup founders, policymakers, global technology representatives, and international delegates, attended the event, highlighting its global importance. However, the heavy footfall resulted in long queues, overlapping security checks, delays in entry, and confusion over access. Many participants also reported limited seating, lack of workspace, and patchy internet and mobile connectivity, making it difficult to attend sessions smoothly.

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Several exhibitors raised serious concerns about poor communication and sudden restrictions. Dhananjay Yadav, co-founder and CEO of Neo Sapien, took to X after the first day of the summit. He alleged that his company’s AI wearables were stolen after exhibitors were asked to vacate their stalls during security preparations. “I asked, ‘Should we take our wearables?’ They said others are leaving even laptops behind, security will take care,” he wrote.

Security personnel had assured them that equipment left inside would be safe, but the devices went missing when they returned. He added, “I came genuinely excited. It was the first time the summit was being hosted in India, and I wanted to show up personally to support the ecosystem and the government’s push. But what happened was shocking.”

He was not the only one to complain, as many other founders echoed similar concerns. Reskill founder Punit Jain wrote, “An AI Summit that sidelines its own builders?” He said exhibitors and delegates were left waiting outside halls for hours without clear updates. “Media shows celebration. Ground reality was chaos. If access was limited to select high-value guests, just say it upfront,” he added.

Entrepreneur Priyanshu Ratnakar also criticised the organisers for focusing more on optics than execution, pointing to long queues, locked stalls, and registration glitches. Many founders felt sidelined as VIPs were given priority access, while builders and startups struggled to enter the venue. Expressing his frustration, he wrote, “The Impact AI Summit in Delhi was a perfect demonstration of why India keeps losing in tech, and I’m tired of pretending it wasn’t a disaster.”

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Participants and foreign delegates also reported difficulties in accessing basic facilities such as drinking water, food, and stable network connectivity. Some international visitors said security staff were not adequately equipped to guide global delegates, adding to the confusion. During peak hours, many attendees found themselves stranded in overcrowded corridors without proper information. Officials attributed the problems to an unexpectedly high turnout.

The five-day summit, running from February 16 to 20, features participation from global leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, among others. More than 20 heads of state and government are attending, underlining the international significance of the event.

The government has projected the summit as a key platform to shape global AI governance, promote inclusive and responsible artificial intelligence, and showcase India’s digital public infrastructure. The theme of the summit is “People, Planet, and Progress.”

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