AI Summit: Heavy footfall, long queues mark Day 1

New Delhi: If the first day of AI Impact Summit 2026 on Monday is any indication, visitors heading to Bharat Mandapam over the coming days would do well to factor in extra time for entry and movement inside the sprawling venue. Heavy traffic around the complex and an unexpectedly high turnout on the first day led to long queues, which started early in the morning. From school and college students to developers and startup founders; all converged on the venue to get a glimpse of the AI Impact Expo, which was inaugurated by PM in the evening.While businessmen were exploring how they could partner to deploy AI in their businesses, students hunted for cheaper options for cloud services.
Registered delegates, exhibitors and officials waited to clear security and access summit halls and exhibition zones. The delay was most pronounced for those carrying laptop bags and other personal belongings, with security checks stretching up to 45 minutes during peak hours. Volunteers were repeatedly seen urging attendees to keep laptops and devices ready for scanning to speed up the process.The DigiYatra system, deployed as a dedicated AI-powered entry channel for the summit, largely functioned as intended, ushering in thousands of participants through facial recognition and QR code scans. However, the sheer volume of footfall meant the system occasionally slowed down or momentarily stalled, leading to short backups at entry points. Volunteers equipped with handheld scanners, however, stepped in to manually clear delegates and keep queues moving."AI bhi thoda sochta hai," joked one volunteer as she waved a delegate through, drawing smiles from those waiting. The moment neatly captured the summit's spirit — cutting-edge technology backed by quick human judgement.The crowd is only going to swell Tuesday onwards with over 1.5 lakh registered for the mega show that will see top AI players land in the capital along with over 20 heads of states.