AI Impact Summit Opens To Packed Halls, Heavy Footfall Leads To Crowding, Delays On Day 1

Last Updated:February 17, 2026, 12:36 IST

AI Impact Summit: With the heightened interest, certain sessions saw more than expected participants, causing disappointment among those who couldn’t join

With a global assembly of Presidents, Prime Ministers, technology pioneers and thousands of attendees from global tech firms in attendance, Day 1 of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi saw unprecedented energy.

But the bevvy of world leaders, industry experts, policymakers and dignitaries at the Bharat Mandapam, for the world’s largest artificial intelligence summit, also means large crowds and some delays which the attendees should account for.

Among the issues attendees need to brace for are security sweeps for high-level arrivals. Also, with the heightened interest, certain sessions saw more than expected participants, causing disappointment among those who couldn’t join.

Steps have been taken to ease congestion and improve coordination for better crowd flow and access management, organisers were reported as saying.

‘Gates are closed’

One such instance was reported by Maitreya Wagh, CEO and one of the founders of Bolna AI, who couldn’t access his booth at the summit owing to the gates being shut.

Wagh wrote on X: “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 café."

‘Confusing directions, wearables stolen’

The sudden evacuation stumped Dhananjay Yadav, co-founder and CEO of Neo Sapien. He also complained of confusing directions.

“We paid for flights, accommodation, logistics and even the booth. Only to see our wearables disappear inside a high-security zone. If only security and official entourage had access, how did this happen? This is extremely disappointing," he wrote on X.

‘Too crowded’

Kritika Kapoor, a content creator, highlighted some of the logistical challenges. “Too crowded…sitting on the floor," she wrote on X.

‘Access limited’

Punit Jain, founder of Reskill, complained of the limited access.

“If access was limited to select guests, it should have been communicated upfront," he said.

Teething problems

A Reuters report said some journalists covering the summit spent much of Monday seeking clarity on entry procedures, with confusion over separate digital QR codes and physical passes for access, according to messages in a WhatsApp group for the event.

Several exhibitors at the summit, however, called these logistical issues teething problems, which would be resolved soon.

The scale of AI summit

Spread across 10 arenas covering more than 70,000 square metres, the Expo brings together global technology firms, start-ups, academia, research institutions, Union Ministries, State Governments, and international partners.The event features 13 country pavilions showcasing international collaboration from nations including Australia, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan, and Africa.

Expecting 2.5 lakh visitors, the Expo hosts over 300 curated exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations, organised into three thematic chakras: People, Planet, and Progress.

In addition, it features over 600 high-potential start-ups, many of which are building globally relevant and population-scale solutions already deployed in real-world settings.

The massive scale of the event is further highlighted by over 500 sessions featuring more than 3,250 visionary speakers and panel members.

Running until February 20, the Impact Summit and Expo showcase New Delhi’s ambition to shape an AI future that is inclusive, responsible, and impactful, anchored in the Prime Minister’s broader vision for sovereign AI that benefits every global citizen.

Final two days of the Summit — February 19 and 20 — will see more than 20 heads of state and government, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, talking about the future of AI alongside business leaders and investors.

With Agency inputs

News india AI Impact Summit Opens To Packed Halls, Heavy Footfall Leads To Crowding, Delays On Day 1

Read More