{"id":3635,"date":"2026-02-17T05:57:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T21:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/?p=3635"},"modified":"2026-02-17T05:57:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T21:57:30","slug":"day-1-of-ai-impact-summit-founders-call-out-overcrowding-missing-prototypes-at-flagship-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/?p=3635","title":{"rendered":"Day 1 of AI Impact Summit: Founders call out overcrowding, missing prototypes at flagship event"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

The opening day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, billed as a landmark gathering of policymakers, startups and global technology leaders, ran into turbulence Day 1 of the marquee event as logistical breakdowns and security-driven disruptions left many attendees frustrated and questioning the execution of one of the country\u2019s marquee tech events.\u00a0<\/p>

Hosted at Bharat Mandapam, the summit drew large crowds eager to\u00a0participate\u00a0in conversations around artificial intelligence,\u00a0innovation\u00a0and India\u2019s digital ambitions. Instead, many participants\u00a0encountered\u00a0long queues beginning early in the morning, restricted entry, patchy internet\u00a0connectivity\u00a0and confusion over movement inside the venue.\u00a0<\/p>

Attendees described waiting hours for access, only to face an unexpected evacuation around midday ahead of the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Security sanitisation protocols led to halls being cleared and access gates shut for several hours, effectively halting participation for a large section of delegates and exhibitors.\u00a0<\/p>

Founders highlight hurdles<\/strong><\/p>

For startup founders who had travelled across the country to\u00a0showcase\u00a0their work, the disruptions translated into missed opportunities and in one case of financial losses.\u00a0<\/p>

Punit Jain, founder of\u00a0Reskilll, posted a timeline of the day\u2019s events on social media, highlighting early morning queues, delayed\u00a0entry\u00a0and the eventual shutdown of access. He criticised what he described as a disconnect between the summit\u2019s stated goal of empowering builders and the on-ground experience of those very participants.\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cDon\u2019t mobilise the ecosystem and then displace them,\u201d he wrote, arguing that clearer communication about restricted access could have prevented confusion.\u00a0<\/p>

An AI Summit that sidelines its own builders?<\/p>

\u2022 7 AM queues
\u2022 9 AM entry
\u2022 12 PM full evacuation
\u2022 Hours of sanitization
\u2022 PM visit at 5 PM
. Day 1 Ends here<\/p>

Meanwhile \u2014 exhibitors, delegates, startup founders left outside. No water. No clarity.<\/p>

Media shows celebration.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/u6hXBbiDG6<\/a><\/p>

\u2014 Punit Jain (@punit__jain) February 16, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote> <\/div>

Similar concerns were raised by Dhananjay Yadav, co-founder of\u00a0NeoSapien, who said the security sweep exposed coordination gaps. According to Yadav, multiple security teams issued conflicting instructions while clearing the exhibition area, forcing startups to leave booths abruptly.\u00a0<\/p>

Yadav alleged that prototype AI wearables his company had brought for display later went missing during the restricted-access window, raising questions about asset safety inside a high-security zone. The startup had invested in travel,\u00a0logistics\u00a0and exhibition costs to\u00a0participate\u00a0in what it saw as a defining platform for India\u2019s emerging AI hardware ecosystem.\u00a0<\/p>

Day 1 of the AI Impact Summit turned to be a pain for us.<\/p>

I came genuinely excited, it was the first time the summit was being hosted in India, and I wanted to show up personally to support the ecosystem and the government\u2019s push.<\/p>

But what happened next was shocking.<\/p>

At 12\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/9gVygparq0<\/a><\/p>

\u2014 Dhananjay Yadav (@imDhananjay) February 16, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote> <\/div>

Beyond security-related disruptions, participants also pointed to basic infrastructure challenges \u2014 including limited access to drinking water, crowded food\u00a0counters\u00a0and reliance on cash payments \u2014 issues many said felt out of place at a summit focused on\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0digital transformation.\u00a0<\/p>

Yavanika Shah, named among Asia\u2019s leading legal innovators in 2023, described the experience with irony, noting that while discussions inside centred on building the future, attendees outside grappled with traffic congestion, long\u00a0queues\u00a0and inadequate amenities.\u00a0<\/p>

Day 1 at the AI Summit:<\/p>

We\u2019re apparently building the future.
Meanwhile:
\u2013 No water.
\u2013 Traffic like it\u2019s a festival + protest + wedding baraat combined.
\u2013 AQI doing live demo of \u201creal world simulation.\u201d
\u2013 Queues so long they need their own breakout session.
\u2013 Cash only food\u2026<\/p>

\u2014 Yavanika Shah (@yavanikashah) February 16, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote> <\/div>

The mismatch between ambition and execution became a recurring theme in attendee reactions. Several founders remarked that events meant to showcase India\u2019s technological maturity must also demonstrate organisational precision, especially as the country positions itself as a global AI hub. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

A user on X (formally twitter) wrote,\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve\u00a0attended conferences across the US, Middle East, and Southeast Asia; yet I\u2019ve never experienced arrangements as poor as in India. The same happens at GFF; when the PM arrives, participants are treated like second class citizens.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why I skip GFF on the day he attends. I am sure many can relate to me who attend GFF. \u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0stopped attending conferences in India; better is to fly to US,\u00a0Dubai\u00a0and Singapore;\u00a0bets\u00a0places to attend conferences.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

As one delegate remarked while leaving the venue, \u201cIf AI is about solving real-world problems, the first test should be running the summit itself.\u201d<\/p> <\/div>