India’s first major international artificial intelligence summit, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Monday, was supposed to showcase the country’s technological ambitions. Instead, it became a cautionary tale about poor planning and crowd management.
The AI Impact Summit, bringing together more than 100 countries and featuring luminaries such as Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, was overshadowed by confusion and frustration at the Bharat Mandapam venue.
Attendees complained of waiting for hours in long queues, with overcrowding making it difficult to navigate the exhibition halls. “To an extent, regarding the exhibitors and the other people there, the expectations are a little met,” one attendee told India Today Global. “But when it comes to the management of the exhibition, it leaves a little to be desired.”
By Monday afternoon, social media was flooded with posts from founders, exhibitors and delegates who described being stranded outside due to last-minute security sweeps and hall closures.
The chaos was such that by Tuesday, Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw felt compelled to issue a public apology to exhibitors for “any issue or inconvenience” experienced during the opening day.
Perhaps most alarmingly, Dhananjay Yadav, founder of wearable AI startup NeoSapiens, alleged that products were stolen from his company’s stall despite the venue being described as a high security zone. Writing on X, he expressed frustration that his firm had invested heavily in travel, accommodation and exhibition space only to see their wearables disappear.
The problems extended beyond security concerns. Multiple attendees reported limited access to food and water, whilst food counters were accepting only cash payments. This proved particularly inconvenient for international visitors at a technology-focused event. Reuters reported that some speakers were still awaiting confirmation of their session timings.
The summit closures, partly attributed to Prime Minister Modi’s visit, meant that latecomers were turned away from halls despite having registered. “First day we had the chance to see most of the halls before they were shut down,” explained one attendee. “But the people who were late for the summit were told by the management that the halls were closed.”
Another visitor noted: “If you are going to have no registration or no limit on the population, then a better management could have been possible.”
The irony was not lost on observers that a summit designed to discuss artificial intelligence was unable to effectively manage basic logistics. Modi had spoken at the inauguration about “the extraordinary potential of AI, Indian talent and innovation”, whilst Vaishnaw outlined the summit’s intention to examine both AI’s benefits and harms.
Yet the opening day’s shambles raised questions about India’s readiness to host major international technology events as the country positions itself as a key player in the global AI landscape.
Not all feedback was negative, however. Many attendees had arrived with high hopes. “We heard about it like the CEO of Nvidia and Google are coming here and also the greatest business tycoon of our India, Mr Mukesh Ambani,” said one visitor.
“I am at the summit today to network and to help get more clients for my own organisation,” another attendee explained. “This is a really good place for me to increase my AI knowledge.”
Some who accessed the exhibitions praised what they saw. “Our favourite pavilion is Bharat Pavilion,” said one group. “We explored the supercomputers and it was really amazing.”
“It’s a good place for learning and educating ourselves with the new AI that’s going around the world,” said another attendee. “We make connections, people are really nice here.”
One attendee summed up the mixed experience: “Management wise, I’ll say first day was chaotic. But right now, being here, it feels surreal. It’s good to be here.”
As the summit continues, organisers will be hoping that subsequent days run more smoothly and that the content will ultimately outweigh the unfortunate first impressions.
