India AI Impact Summit Day 1: Scale overwhelms systems

The opening day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 organised under the IndiaAI Mission by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology was meant to demonstrate India’s readiness to lead in artificial intelligence (AI)  governance and infrastructure. Instead, the Day 1 revealed how quickly ambition can be undercut by operational disorder.

By mid-morning, entry queues had lengthened across gates. Delegates were being redirected between checkpoints. Exhibitors searched for clarity on access permissions. Media representatives struggled to locate workspace. Help desks were crowded, but consistent answers were scarce.

According to sources, the overall registrations for participation crossed 35,000. So, while the ecosystem turnout reflected that scale., the systems on the ground did not.

Access Systems Falter on Opening Day

The summit relied heavily on digital validation—QR codes, app-based badges and DigiYatra integration were meant to enable frictionless entry. In practice, the experience proved fragmented.

When this journalist attempted to map his media pass QR with DigiYatra, the app failed to read the code. Several calls were made to different PIB officials; each shared another contact. The matter eventually reached the National Media Centre office, where the QR on the AI Summit app still could not be mapped. The advice was to return at 5 pm or collect a physical badge directly from the venue.

Others reported similar friction. OTP verifications stalled. QR codes visible in email were not consistently accessible inside the summit app. Attendees with premium passes said they stood in long queues without clear guidance.

“We have been planning for six months,” said an AI startup founder who arrived with his team. “Even with premium passes, we have been standing in queues since morning. Ten people are required to scan one QR code. Nobody knows what to do or where to go. It feels like a waste of talent, time and money representing our brand here.”

Multiple badge categories—delegate, exhibitor, speaker, invite-only—operated under different permissions, yet no clearly displayed access matrix explained who could enter which hall or on which day. Help desks were described by several participants as overwhelmed and unable to provide consistent instructions.

“There was zero coordination,” said one attendee. “No respect towards the public. We were requesting just to retrieve our bags and were denied.”

While PIB has established an official “AI Impact Summit 2026” WhatsApp channel, much of the real-time troubleshooting on Monday flowed through informal participant groups rather than structured operational updates.

Security Measures Disrupt Basic Mobility

Security arrangements, particularly aimed at sanitising the venue for the Prime Minister’s visit, further intensified disruption. Participants were asked to vacate certain halls for frisking shortly before the visit, with the indication that the pause would be brief. For many, it was not.

“STPI this morning gave me a Gold Pass for the inauguration of the exhibition by the Prime Minister at 5 pm. I was about to leave at 2 pm when I got a call saying SPG has stopped all entry and that I should not come,” said an industry veteran, pointing to the last-minute reversals that left even invited guests uncertain about access.

Others described being asked to move out of halls minutes before the scheduled visit, only to find themselves waiting far longer than communicated.

“We were told it would be 15 minutes,” said a PR specialist. “It has been more than two and a half hours. We were forced to stay outside without our belongings — car keys, home keys, laptops. They are not even letting us sit anywhere. Food outlets are closed. Now we have to wait till evening to get our things back.”

A videographer described waiting nearly four hours after being denied entry to retrieve equipment bags. “We had requested that at least one of us be allowed to collect all the bags before the visit. They were not cooperative. The behaviour was rude, and we were shouted at.”

Several attendees reported water bottles being seized at the Convergence Hall entry points. Others described temporary confiscation of personal items without clear communication on retrieval timelines.

“I travelled 50 kilometres hoping to learn something,” said Dinesh, a visitor who attended as a technology enthusiast. “Everything was closed before people could actually arrive. Some colleagues were not even allowed to carry water bottles. It turned out to be my worst summit experience.”

Security protocols are expected at events of this scale, particularly with high-level attendance. However, multiple participants said the enforcement felt disproportionate and poorly communicated, compounding rather than containing the disorder.

Media Coordination Breaks Down

Media representatives reported significant gaps in planning. On Monday morning, there was no clearly operational media centre providing structured seating or interview space. Journalists with confirmed meetings found themselves without a designated area to work.

A PR agency executive said editors were asked to report to a media centre at 9 am, passes were issued only around 3 pm, and written permissions were then sought for cameras. “The sequencing did not align,” the executive noted.

One journalist from a national news portal described being denied entry despite prior registration and scheduled coverage commitments. “We had confirmed meetings and coverage plans. Being pushed back at the gate is draining and disrespectful. If media is not welcome on Day 1, that should be clearly communicated.”

Another media professional expressed disappointment more broadly. “I have attended events abroad and expected this to reflect India’s standards. Instead, we were denied access despite registration. We have lost valuable relationships today because we had to cancel meetings after being stopped at the venue.”

For a summit positioning itself as a national AI milestone, the absence of structured media facilitation raised questions about planning coherence.

Also Read: MeitY, Intel launch nationwide AI responsibility pledge drive

Scale Without Synchronised Execution

Beyond individual grievances lies a structural tension between scale and synchronisation. With registrations reportedly exceeding 35,000 and hall capacities significantly lower, some participants were turned away from sessions that had reached seating limits. There was no visible real-time seat tracking system to manage expectations.

Exhibitors who had prepared product demos and networking schedules found themselves navigating entry confusion instead. “I was looking forward to bonding over pitches and story ideas,” said the PR specialist who was held outside during security lockdown. “Instead, we bonded over shared summit trauma.”

“I fail to understand what kind of AI impact they aim to showcase when everyone is facing chaos in basic arrangements,” said another founder. “If small things cannot be managed efficiently, it raises concerns about the larger message.”

Large gatherings often face turbulence on the opening day, and processes may stabilise as the summit progresses, including the invite-focused sessions scheduled for 19 February. However, when a flagship national event seeks to project capability in artificial intelligence infrastructure and governance, operational precision becomes inseparable from narrative credibility. Monday’s disruptions have therefore placed execution under scrutiny.

Also Read: India AI Impact Summit 2026 focuses on trust and accountability in AI

Yet there was a clear silver lining. The sessions themselves—being streamed live on YouTube—reflected substantive depth and seriousness of intent. Panels on AI infrastructure, compute readiness, startup innovation and governance frameworks were well curated and intellectually engaging.

For those who were able to attend in person, or follow the proceedings online, the quality of discussion stood out as thoughtful and forward-looking. The ideas were strong. The speakers were prepared. The policy conversations were meaningful.

If the operational layer struggled to match the scale on Day 1, the intellectual content did not.

India’s AI ambition is visible not only in the size of the gathering but in the seriousness of its conversations. The challenge now is ensuring that future editions align execution as tightly as the vision being articulated on stage.

The image accompanying this story was created using AI. The author used AI tool to analyse WhatsApp messages from different groups, social media, and individual comments gathered from the Summit venue to list the challenges faced by the participants on the  day. The article was edited with limited use of AI-based tool.