Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 17: Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday apologised to participants who faced inconvenience on the opening day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, saying the overwhelming response underscored India’s growing enthusiasm for artificial intelligence.
Addressing media persons at Bharat Mandapam, where the summit is being held, Vaishnaw said more than 70,000 people attended the event on Tuesday alone, describing it as 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.
The minister added that the government is open to feedback and committed to ensuring a seamless experience for all stakeholders. “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 opening day on Monday witnessed heavy footfall, with startup founders, representatives of global technology firms and international delegates thronging the venue. However, the large turnout led to congestion, long queues and delays at several entry points amid heightened security arrangements ahead of the inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Some exhibitors said they were asked to vacate their stalls temporarily during security sweeps, leading to confusion and uncertainty over access restoration. Organisers later said corrective measures were implemented to streamline crowd flow and improve coordination, assuring smoother operations over the remaining days of the summit, which concludes on February 20.
Dhananjay Yadav, co-founder and CEO of Neo Sapien, alleged that AI wearables kept at his stall went missing during a sudden evacuation before the Prime Minister’s visit. Describing the episode as “extremely disappointing”, he said the startup had invested heavily in logistics and booth setup.
Punit Jain, founder of Reskill, also flagged lack of clear communication, claiming exhibitors and delegates were left waiting outside halls for hours. Entrepreneur Priyanshu Ratnakar pointed to long queues, patchy Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity, and repeated registration glitches, terming the first day as prioritising optics over execution.
Despite the initial hiccups, exhibitors expressed hope that the summit would emerge as a key platform for shaping global AI conversations and strengthening India’s position in the evolving artificial intelligence landscape.