IT Minister apologises for AI summit troubles; global embarrassment, says Kharge

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw apologizes for AI summit mismanagement amid criticism from Congress leader Kharge over chaos and security issues.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) apologised for the difficulties faced by attendees on the opening day of the India AI Impact Summit, even as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the Modi Government for the “utter chaos and rank mismanagement”.

Addressing a press conference at Bharat Mandapam, the summit venue, Mr. Vaishnaw said the turnout on Monday (February 16, 2026) was “phenomenal”, and assured participants that corrective steps had been taken to ensure a smoother experience in the coming days.

More than 70,000 people attended the summit on the first day, he said. “This is the biggest AI summit in the entire world. The response is phenomenal. The energy is palpable. We can see the organisation is very smooth now. If anybody faced any problems yesterday, we apologise for that,” Mr. Vaishnaw said. A “war room” had been set up to address grievances and operational issues, he added.

Earlier, in a post on X, Mr. Kharge said that what could have been a global showcase of India’s digital capabilities had turned into “utter chaos” due to mismanagement. 

“What could have been a showpiece AI Summit for the entire world demonstrating the digital & AI capabilities of India, has reportedly turned into utter chaos and rank mismanagement by this “PR hungry” government!” Mr. Kharge said on X.

What could have been a showpiece AI Summit for the entire world demonstrating the digital & AI capabilities of India, has reportedly turned into utter chaos and rank mismanagement by this "PR hungry" government!Founders, exhibitors and visitors - all face extreme distress due…