India’s flagship artificial intelligence summit was overshadowed by chaos on its opening day amid long queues in unseasonal heat, traffic congestions, and sudden security sweeps ahead of prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit.
Thousands of people on Monday attended the summit at the 123-acre Bharat Mandapam complex in the capital Delhi. Over 250,000 had registered their attendance over the week. High profile guests included French president Emmanuel Macron and tech giants Sam Altman and Sundar Pichai as India aims to position itself as a global AI hub.
But for many on the ground, the first day was defined less by grand geopolitical messaging and more by blocked gates, delayed panels, and uncertainty over access.
After allowing attendees inside the venue, including the main hall where the exhibitions were set up by companies showcasing their AI capabilities, the zone was reportedly evacuated in the afternoon for security checks ahead of Mr Modi’s visit, forcing exhibitors and founders to leave their stalls for several hours.
Founders posted online about being unable to retrieve their equipment which they later said were stolen after the sudden evacuation.
Dhananjay Yadav, co-founder and chief executive of AI wearable startup NeoSapien, wrote on X that security personnel arrived around noon and asked exhibitors to leave ahead of the prime minister’s visit.
“I asked: ‘Should we take our wearables?’ They said, others are leaving even laptops behind, security will take care,” he wrote.
“Later we found our wearables were stolen,” he said.
He added: “We paid for flights, accommodation, logistics and even the booth. Only to see our wearables disappear inside a high-security zone.”
Devesh Mahla, deputy commissioner of police, New Delhi district, told The Indian Express on Tuesday that they had not received any complaint in the matter so far.
Some exhibitors at the venue complained to organisers about unclear instructions and overlapping security directions, while some were unsure when access would be restored.
Delegates also described confusion over entry procedures and security checks, Reuters reported.
Sharing a photo of long queues outside the venue on X, Maitreya Wagh, founder of Bengaluru-based AI company Bolna, wrote: “Gates are closed so could not access my own booth at the AI Summit.
“If you’re also stuck outside and wanted to visit the @bolna_dev team, dm me. We may set up a mini-booth at some Connaught Place cafe,” he joked.
Several roads have been blocked and traffic was getting diverted in central Delhi ahead of the summit.
Organisers told Indian media on Tuesday that steps had been taken to ease congestion and improve coordination for the remaining days of the summit. By Tuesday morning, queues had eased slightly, though traffic diversions around central Delhi continued to affect arrival times for delegates and media.
“This is the biggest AI summit in the world. The response was phenomenal. The energy is palpable. We can see the organization is very smooth now. If anybody has faced any problems yesterday, we apologise for that,” India’s Information Technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
“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.
The confusion extended into day two when Mr Gates’s name briefly disappeared from a list of speakers on the summit website, triggering speculation that he had been disinvited due to recent criticism over his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
One Indian media report cited government sources as saying Mr Gates was “not expected” to attend and that his invitation had been “reviewed”.
But a spokesperson for Mr Gates said the reports were not accurate, telling The Independent: “Bill Gates is attending the AI Impact Summit. He will be delivering his keynote as scheduled.”
Mr Gates’s invitation had earlier drawn criticism in India, with his visit attracting protests in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh by opposition political party members.
He arrived in India on Monday and met Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Amaravati where he praised the state’s use of AI and technology in health, agriculture and education. He has been reviewing projects backed by the Gates Foundation, which is active in public health initiatives in the state.
The summit will continue till 20 February, with keynote addresses and high-level sessions scheduled on Thursday and Friday.
