AI Summit in Delhi opens to huge interest, crowding leads to delays, confusion
India Today
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi opened to high interest from startups and global tech firms but faced challenges on its first day, including crowd congestion, unclear communication, and exhibitors' frustrations over security procedures.
The opening day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi on Monday saw thousands of attendees, including startup founders, officials from global tech firms, and other international delegates, drawn to what is being described as one of the world’s largest artificial intelligence events. Day 1 of the event indicated that attendees should keep a couple of hours extra handy in order to mitigate delays caused due to large crowds and heightened interest. Visitors during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam on Monday. (Photo: PTI)
The large crowd on Day 1 did lead to confusion and delays, with exhibitors and founders saying unclear instructions and overlapping security directions resulted in long queues at several spots. Some exhibitors also said that they were asked to vacate their stalls during security sweeps, with limited clarity on when access would be restored.
Organisers said steps have been taken to ease congestion and improve coordination for the remaining days of the event, assuring participants that crowd flow and access management would be smoother in the days ahead.
Amid the excitement surrounding the AI Impact Summit, Dhananjay Yadav, co-founder and CEO of Neo Sapien, said he had arrived eager to support the ecosystem and showcase his startup’s AI wearable, but was caught off guard by the sudden evacuation.
He also alleged that security personnel gave conflicting instructions and assured participants that devices left behind would be safe. “Later, we found our wearables were stolen inside the venue. This is extremely disappointing,” he said. (Photo: X/@imDhananjay)
Yadav said the opening day “turned into a pain” after exhibitors were asked to vacate stalls ahead of security checks for the Prime Minister’s visit.
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