Day 1 of the India AI Summit in New Delhi was a logistical disaster that went viral on social media

The India AI Impact Summit, billed as a major gathering of global leaders and innovators in artificial intelligence, faced heavy criticism on its opening day after attendees and speakers complained about poor organisation, pollution, traffic congestion and basic logistical issues.

The five-day summit began on February 16 at Bharat Mandapam and was expected to host discussions on emerging technologies such as machine learning, enterprise AI adoption and policy frameworks. The event was also scheduled to feature talks from global technology leaders, policymakers and Indian startup founders. However, the first day quickly turned controversial as participants took to social media platform X to express frustration over the arrangements.

Dhananjay Yadav, founder of a wearables startup that was exhibiting at the summit, described the opening day as a “pain”. He said he had attended the event with enthusiasm because it was the first time the summit was being hosted in India and he wanted to support the country’s growing AI ecosystem and the government’s technology push. According to Yadav, the situation worsened around noon when security personnel began preparing the venue for the arrival of Narendra Modi. He said exhibition areas were sanitised and cordoned off for security checks, with gates reportedly closed from 12 pm to 6 pm, leaving many exhibitors unable to access their own booths. During that time, some wearables on display were reportedly stolen after exhibitors were asked to step away from their stalls.

Other entrepreneurs also voiced concerns about the disruption. Priyanshu Ratnakar said on X that several founders were locked out of their own booths due to security arrangements linked to the prime minister’s visit. He criticised the event’s organisation, saying the experience highlighted systemic problems in India’s technology events. Ratnakar also pointed out issues such as cash-only payment counters despite “Digital India” branding, registration system crashes, and difficulty for participants who had registered weeks earlier to enter the venue.

Several attendees reported long queues and overcrowding that prevented them from attending sessions or meeting speakers. Builders and startup founders said they were stuck for hours in lines and could not access exhibition areas or conference halls. Some complained about the absence of basic facilities such as Wi-Fi connectivity, while others said laptops and demonstration equipment could not be used effectively due to power or connectivity issues.

Environmental and infrastructure problems added to the frustration. Participants said the venue suffered from inadequate ventilation and intermittent power cuts, while Delhi’s worsening air quality, which had reached hazardous levels, made conditions uncomfortable for many visitors. Traffic congestion around the venue further delayed arrivals and worsened crowd management issues.

Some speakers scheduled for panel discussions reportedly remained uncertain about their session timings and agendas even after the summit had begun. Delegates also said they received unclear instructions before the event, forcing many to scramble to retrieve their belongings after exhibition areas were suddenly cleared for security checks ahead of high-level visits.

With about 250,000 participants expected over the course of the summit, many attendees said the event appeared unprepared for the scale of the crowd. Poor signage, limited seating and overcrowded session halls created confusion, with some sessions unable to accommodate all interested participants.

Maitreya Wagh, co-founder of AI voice startup Bolna, wrote on X that he could not access his own booth because the gates had been closed. Other attendees dismissed the summit as overly crowded and poorly organised despite heavy marketing.

The summit was intended to highlight India’s ambitions in artificial intelligence and bring together global and domestic innovators to discuss the future of AI technologies. However, the chaotic start has sparked a debate online about event planning, infrastructure and the broader challenges facing India’s rapidly growing technology ecosystem.