New Delhi, Feb 18 As India-AI Impact Summit 2026 entered its third day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday criticised the event, alleging that it was being run more as a publicity exercise than a serious platform to strengthen India’s artificial intelligence ecosystem.
Rahul Gandhi said that instead of focusing on India’s own talent and the responsible use of its data, the summit had turned into a 'disorganised PR spectacle'.
Taking to social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Instead of leveraging India’s talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganised PR spectacle - Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased."
Rahul Gandhi also shared a post by the Congress party on the same platform, which made sharp allegations against the Centre regarding the conduct of the summit and the exhibition being held alongside it.
The Congress, in its post, claimed that the Modi government had damaged India’s reputation internationally on the issue of artificial intelligence.
"The Modi government has made a laughing stock of India globally, with regard to AI. In the ongoing AI summit, Chinese robots are being displayed as our own. The Chinese media has mocked us. This is truly embarrassing for India," the post added.
The party further alleged that Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was also promoting Chinese-made products at the summit.
"What is even more shameful is the fact that Modi’s minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is indulging in the same falsehood, promoting China's robots at the Indian summit," the post added.
Continuing its attack, the Congress claimed that the government had reduced a crucial and high-potential sector into a joke, despite India having the capability to lead globally due to its data and talent pool.
"The Modi Government has caused irreparable damage to the image of the country - they have reduced AI to a joke - a field in which we could be world leaders given our data power. Brazenly shameless," the Congress added.
Meanwhile, the authorities have asked Galgotias University to vacate the AI Impact Summit Expo following allegations that the institution presented a Chinese-made robotic dog as its own invention. The university faced severe online and offline criticism after a robotic dog, allegedly manufactured by a Chinese company, was seen at the university’s display stall during the expo.
Earlier, amid rising criticism over the controversy, the institution issued an official clarification, claiming concern about the “propaganda” being spread against the university.
The university said that robotic programming is part of its effort to teach students to build AI applications, enabling them to develop and deploy real-world skills using globally available tools and resources.
The India-AI Impact Summit is a five-day programme anchored in three foundational pillars, or “Sutras”: People, Planet, and Progress.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the India-AI Impact Expo 2026 and emphasised that the country’s progress in AI will not only shape transformative solutions for the nation but also contribute to global advancement.
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