NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — An Indian university has been asked to vacate its stall at the country’s flagship artificial intelligence summit after a staff member presented a Chinese-made robotic dog as its own invention, two government sources said. The controversy erupted during the India AI Impact summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The incident quickly went viral on social media. It has sparked debate about India’s AI ambitions and innovation standards.
Neha Singh, a communications professor at Galgotias University, introduced the robotic dog during an interview with state-run broadcaster DD News.
“You need to meet Orion. This has been developed by the Centre of Excellence at Galgotias University,” she said in the video.
Soon after, social media users identified the robot as the Go2 model made by the Chinese company Unitree Robotics. The robot, known as the Unitree Go2, sells for about $2,800. Researchers and educators around the world widely use it for robotics and AI experiments. Critics accused the university of misrepresentation. The video spread rapidly across platforms. Many users questioned how such a claim could surface at a major national technology summit.
Galgotias University and Singh later said the robotic dog was not a university creation. They added that the university never claimed ownership of the technology.
As of Wednesday morning, the university’s stall remained open. Officials at the booth answered questions from the media and visitors about the incident. A representative said the university had not received any official communication about being removed from the event. However, two government sources said authorities had asked the university to vacate its stall. Officials have not made a public announcement on the matter.
The controversy gained further attention when India’s Information Technology Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, shared the original video clip on his official social media account. He later deleted the post after backlash grew online. India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, criticized the government over the incident. The party said the controversy made India “a laughing stock globally about AI.”
The episode has added a political edge to what was meant to be a celebration of India’s growing artificial intelligence sector.
The India AI Impact summit, held at Bharat Mandapam, runs through Saturday. Organizers have billed it as the first major AI gathering hosted in the Global South. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the event. Other prominent speakers include Sundar Pichai of Google, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Dario Amodei of Anthropic.
Organizers say companies have pledged more than $100 billion in AI investments during the summit. Major commitments include funding from Adani Group, Microsoft, and data center firm Yotta. Supporters say these investments highlight India’s growing role in the global AI race. The country aims to become a leading hub for artificial intelligence research, data centers,s and digital innovation.
The robotic dog controversy comes as the summit faces other challenges. Some delegates have reported overcrowding and logistical problems since the event opened.
Still, many industry leaders see the summit as a key moment for India’s tech ecosystem. India has one of the world’s largest pools of software engineers and a rapidly expanding startup sector. The government has promoted AI as a priority area for economic growth.
