Ashwini Vaishnaw apologises for chaos on first day of AI summit 

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the minister of electronics and information technology, expressed regret to those who experienced problems on the first day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which is advertised as one of the biggest artificial intelligence conferences in the world. 

He also noted that the attendance was incredible. He claimed that in order to provide a seamless customer experience, the government is willing to consider proposals and is open-minded. In response to online complaints about crowding brought on by increased interest in the event, Vaishnaw stated that over 70,000 people attended the summit today and that the enthusiasm among attendees, dignitaries, and exhibitors was evident.

“This is the biggest AI Summit in the world. The response was phenomenal. The energy is palpable. We can see the organisation is very smooth now. If anybody has faced any problems yesterday, we apologise for that,” he said at a press conference at Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam where the summit is happening.

“Whatever feedback you have, please share with us. We are open-minded. We will make efforts to make the experience smoother and enjoyable for all of you. We have a war room which has been operating since yesterday. My entire team is working hard day and night for this summit,” he said.

Thousands of people attended the AI Impact Summit’s first day on Monday, including international delegates, representatives of multinational technology companies, and startup founders, demonstrating the level of interest in what is being billed as one of the biggest artificial intelligence gatherings in the world. However, due to the large number of attendees, it was suggested that attendees allow additional time to accommodate delays brought on by crowding and increased security.

Due to overlapping security checks and imprecise instructions, exhibitors and founders reported huge lines at multiple entry points, causing confusion and delays in some areas. Additionally, some exhibitors reported that during security sweeps, they were requested to temporarily leave their booths.

In the midst of the frenzy, Neo Sapien CEO and co-founder Dhananjay Yadav said he had arrived ready to demonstrate his company’s AI wearable but was taken aback by the abrupt evacuation prior to security checks for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s summit opening.

“The opening day turned into a pain,” Yadav said, alleging that wearables left inside the stall went missing during the clearance. “We paid for flights, accommodation, logistics and even the booth, only to see our devices disappear inside a high-security zone,” he wrote, calling the episode “extremely disappointing”.

Punit Jain, founder of Reskill, echoed similar concerns, saying exhibitors, founders and delegates were left waiting outside the halls for hours without clear communication.

“If access was limited to select guests, it should have been communicated upfront. This is not how we build India’s AI future,” he said, describing the first day as disorganised and exclusionary.