Opening-day chaos at India AI Summit; Vaishnaw says ‘apologies’, promises fix

NEW DELHI: A day after the opening day of the India AI Impact Summit saw chaos and disruptions due to heavy crowding at the conference venue, IT and Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw apologized for the inconvenience and said the government will be mindful of any “issues” that are brought to its notice.

The Minister said that the turnout at the AI summit has been "phenomenal", something that led to packed halls and long queues on Monday. Many visitors complained of problems entering the venue, while some of the companies even said they had to struggle to get inside despite having pavilions.




Addressing criticism over overcrowding, Vaishnaw said more than 70,000 people attended the summit on Monday, with a high interest in what is billed as one of the world's largest AI gatherings.

"This is the biggest AI summit in the entire world. The response is phenomenal. The energy is palpable. We can see the organisation is very smooth now. If anybody has faced any problems yesterday, apologies for that," he said at a news conference in the summit venue Bharat Mandapam.

The Minister said that a ‘war room’ is now operating to address any issues being faced.

"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," he said. "My entire team is working hard day and night for this summit."

The opening day drew thousands of attendees, including startup founders, global tech representatives, and international delegates. However, heavy footfall led to confusion, long queues, overlapping security checks, and temporary evacuation of some exhibitor stalls ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the expo happening alongside.