Union minister for electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday apologised to participants who faced inconvenience on the opening day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, saying the turnout was far higher than expected and led to overcrowding and logistical issues.
Speaking at a press conference at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where the summit is being held, Vaishnaw said arrangements had since stabilised, and the event was running more smoothly.
“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.
‘Over 70,000 people attended today’
Vaishnaw said the summit drew more than 70,000 visitors on Tuesday. The minister’s comments came after social media posts and participant accounts flagged long queues, congestion and delays at entry points on Day 1.
Government sets up ‘war room’ to address complaints
Responding to a question at the press conference, Vaishnaw said the government was open to feedback and had activated a response mechanism to improve the experience over the remaining days.
“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.
Founders flag access issues, unclear communication
The opening day saw heavy footfall from startup founders, global technology companies, delegates and visitors. However, exhibitors and founders described pockets of confusion, including unclear instructions, repeated security checks and extended waiting times outside halls.
Some exhibitors also said they were asked to temporarily vacate stalls during security sweeps, with limited clarity on when access would be restored.
Startup founder alleges devices went missing
Dhananjay Yadav, co-founder and chief executive of Neo Sapien, said he came prepared to showcase his company’s AI wearable but was caught off guard by a sudden evacuation ahead of security checks for the inauguration.
“The opening day turned into a pain,” he said, alleging that wearables left inside the stall went missing during the clearance.
Complaints also include Wi-Fi glitches and queue management
Other attendees pointed to long queues, patchy connectivity, registration glitches and limited seating during peak hours. Some founders said the lack of clear communication added to frustration, especially as access appeared uneven at certain points.